Love Reigns Down
by Sayuriko
Summary: When you lose someone you love, how far will you go to say good-bye? Before Kagome can find hope for the future, she must first let go of her past. Fan fiction sequel to "Paradox: The Power of Letting Go". Rated for limes and language. InuYasha/Kagome.
1. Prologue: Wednesday's Child

Disclaimer: InuYasha is owned by Rumiko Takahashi/Shogakukan Inc. and Viz Media.

This is a fan-fic continuation of my first story, "Paradox: The Power of Letting Go". As with that story, this one will again deal with time shifts and time travel, but don't worry, it'll all make sense in the end. ^_^

**Prologue: Wednesday's Child**

_**Feudal Era**_

The slow drip of water echoed in the cavern as the young woman pulled her kimono closer to her body to ward off the cold chill seeping into her bones. She glanced towards the cave opening, the dim light of the fire only reaching the sparse bushes lying in the entrance; darkness enveloping everything that lay beyond.

_Fate.  
_  
She had berated and scoffed at the idea of fate. Once — so long ago — she had believed. She was loved and she had loved. Then one fateful night, all that had mattered to her was taken away. She had spat the agonizing irony at her mother, thrown hurtful words at the woman who had borne her. Destiny was too cruel and she had become an unbeliever in fate. But now… now here in this small, dark cave waiting for him to return, it made her question her beliefs and her words.

She absent-mindedly stroked her stomach as she pulled her lower lip between her teeth. Glancing worriedly at the entrance again, she gasped as her abdomen tightened in another contraction. Digging her fingers into the dirt and squeezing her eyes tight, she panted heavily until the pain slowly subsided. Swallowing hard, she slowly opened her eyes as she heard the slight shuffle of hesitant footsteps enter the small enclosure. Focusing her gaze on the shadowy figure she gave a weak smile as her companion hesitantly asked about her state.

"I-I'm fine," she gasped slightly.

Nodding, he turned away. Shaking the rain from his clothes, he knelt by the pit and threw another stick into the fire, stroking the flames to new life as he pondered the awkward situation that he was currently in.

It was by chance that he had stumbled upon this girl. Trying to shake off the restlessness that he was feeling all day, he had gone for a run and came upon her leaned up against a tree. She had been holding her swollen belly, gasping for air. Kami knew what she was doing in the woods alone, miles away from the closest village. Any idiot could see that she was in labour. When she finally noticed him her mouth rounded in surprise and her eyes lit up. He supposed that she was happy to see someone, anyone. And in the condition that she was in, even a hanyou would do. To hide his discomfort, he demanded to know why she was alone. Her eyes misted in pain and he barely heard her when she whispered," He's dead."

Jarred by the haunted look in her eyes, he hesitantly approached her with an offer to help. Smiling gratefully, she accepted his offer. Luckily, he knew of a cave that was nearby that would shelter them from the imminent storm. After several awkward moments — when he didn't know if he should put her arm around him or his around hers — and when he realized that she didn't mind his touch, he finally scooped her up and carried her.

Reaching the cave, he made her as comfortable as he possibly could, all the while trying to find clues to her identity. But she had clamped her mouth firmly shut after her quiet confession and refused to elaborate on her origins. He could feel the tension radiating off her small frame as she evaded his questions and the stubborn tilt of her chin told him that he wouldn't be getting any straight answers from her. After he started a fire and assured himself that she would be all right, he went out and scouted the area, trying to figure out where she had come from. He thought that surely someone must be looking for her, but after an hour of fruitless searching in the rain, he came up empty-handed. When he returned, he didn't want to cause her any additional pain, so he refrained himself from prodding her further. He figured he'll get the answers later. Right now, there were more pressing matters at hand.

Glancing at the woman now — he didn't even know her name — he was relieved to see her relax her stance. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing slowly through her mouth, storing her energy, waiting for the next wave of pain to hit her. He turned once more to stroke the fire, satisfied that she was all right for the moment.

The young woman stirred as she heard the rustle of cloth. Tilting her head slightly, she watched her companion through half hooded eyes. Wistfulness crossed her face as he took off his haori and draped it next to the fire to dry. She stared at his hands — calloused and rough — and the fluid, graceful movements of the man they belonged to. She watched as the light from the fire caught and reflected off his silver hair as he moved about, oblivious of her scrutiny. Confusion whirled through her as her thoughts started to drift towards her husband. She tried to fight the pain that had suddenly spiked in her heart and constricted her breath in such a way that the contractions hadn't. Her heart clenched as thoughts of her husband invaded her mind and she felt the stirrings of painful memories rising up to the surface. She quickly clamped down on her emotions. If she let the floodgates open now, she would drown in her sorrows and she couldn't afford to do that — not now. _He's not my husband_, she reprimanded herself. She had to remember that.

She was so caught up in watching him that it took her a few moments to realize that he had stopped moving. Slowly raising her gaze, she met his eyes, inscrutably watching her. She could feel a slow, heated blush rise up and before she could open her mouth to break the awkward silence, her abdomen clenched — as if on cue — stealing her breath away. Grasping her stomach with one hand, she clawed at the ground with the other, leaving deep groove marks in the dirt. Tears trickled down her cheeks as she slowly expelled her breath and waited as the contraction subsided.

Minutes passed. As if feeling the weight of his eyes on her, she opened hers — brown eyes full of pain met with concerned amber.

With an intrinsic sense, InuYasha knew exactly what she needed. Caught up in the moment, he didn't question how he knew or why he felt this way. All he knew was that for the sake of this one girl, he would allow his gut instincts to guide him. Picking up his red haori, he slowly approached her and carefully draped it over her swollen belly. Satisfied once that small task was completed, he shifted into a cross-legged position beside her. He couldn't help but notice that her eyes followed his every move. To prove his theory, he untucked his hands from the sleeves of his shirt and casually rested them on his knees. He smiled inwardly as he was proven right. He felt her indecision as she slowly reached up and tentatively curled her hand around his.

He didn't pull away.

Without thinking he gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, careful not to scratch her with his claws. Her hand felt so small in his and he tried to project the warmth of his body into her chilled one. A teary smile crossed her face, full of gratitude and something else that he couldn't quite place. Her lips parted slightly and was followed by a soft "thank you."

"Keh—" He tampered down his embarrassment and timidly reached out to brush away a stray tendril of dark hair from her face which was flushed with exhaustion. Fuelled by courage, he lowered his hand on her head and began to soothe back her hair, damp from a mixture of sweat and tears.

The girl closed her eyes and tried not to cry.

Another contraction ripped through her body and she arched her back in pain, gripping his hand. '_Kami, she's strong'_, he thought as he felt his bones crunch with her reflex. After a few laboured moments, the girl's breathing became slightly even again.

"Do you need anything?" he asked apprehensively.

"No— no, thank you…. InuYasha," she whispered.

Suddenly she felt a gush of warmth slide down her legs. Her shock turned to embarrassment as she looked down at the wetness soaking through her robes. Her mortification was short-lived as another contraction hit her. "Ahhhh!" Arching her back to combat the onslaught of pain, the haori slipped off her body to land in a crumpled heap beside her. "Ohh! O-ou… m-my baby is coming!" The young woman twisted her body in reflex to brace herself against the contraction that seized her. As pain coursed through the core of her abdomen, her mind became a blank haze, and the pushing sensation became so great that she involuntarily cried out, "InuYassshaaa!"

The hanyou jumped slightly before tentatively reaching out to pat her hand. "What can I do?"

"Ju-just, please... just be… here."

He nodded. Then realizing she was squeezing her eyes shut and couldn't see his affirmation, he said softly, "I'm here. It'll be all right."

She bit her lower lip to keep the tears at bay. With heartache barely hidden in her voice, she whispered, "Thank you."

InuYasha rubbed his nose in discomfort. He'd just wished that she would stop thanking him. Suddenly she struggled to sit up. She managed to heave herself up onto her elbows before two strong hands cupped her shoulders and gently eased her back down.

"You shouldn't try to get up," he said.

She could feel the heat emitting from his hands through the thin cotton of her kimono. His hands, so warm and solid against her, felt safe and with a sigh she sank back down on to the makeshift bed.

"I-I… I need to go—" she stopped and grunted. "I have to …to relieve myself—"

"You—" The hanyou looked confused before comprehension dawned on him. "Do you mean you have to shit?"

The unexpected words from his mouth made the girl choke on the giggle that had erupted from her lips, dying quickly as another contraction gripped her.

The flush on InuYasha's face suddenly receded as his eyes narrowed in confusion. His musings was sharply interrupted as the hand he held gripped him tightly and she insistently argued, "I need to go—"

"No, no, don't get up. It just means the baby is coming. Do you feel like you need to push?"

The girl nodded; too overcome with pain to do anything else. "How—?"

InuYasha looked away flustered. "M-my friend told me all about it when his wife gave birth."

"Oh…" the girl smiled tiredly.

"Keh. I wish they were here. At least they would know what to do."

"But I'm glad you're here, InuYasha," she said quietly as she wearily pushed her solemn thoughts away. She would spiral into a dark depression if she allowed her fears to surface. She was scared; she had never been so scared in her entire life. And she was alone.

No, no, she wasn't alone. She had InuYasha now. And that was all that mattered. He said that it would be all right.

Her short respite was sharply interrupted by the urgent need to push again. "Ahhhh!"

"Push!"

"I-I c-can't—" she panted.

"Yes, you can," encouraged the hanyou. "Push!"

Twenty minutes later the wail of a baby filled the air.

-x-x-x-x-

"Wahhhhhhhh!" The shrill cry of the newborn babe filled the small enclosure and InuYasha flattened his ears in response. Grimacing against the sound, he quickly wrapped the baby with his haori, hoping that the warmth would appease the baby and quiet the noise. To no avail, the baby continued to fuss.

"Here, give me... my baby."

InuYasha gave a slight nod and placed the baby on his mother's abdomen, the umbilical cord still trailing off of the infant's belly. Panting lightly, the young woman looked at the hanyou and weakly waved her hand at the cord. "Could you… I mean..."

Understanding, he gently took hold of the cord and sliced through, freeing the baby from its nine month lifeline.

As InuYasha stared down at the baby cradled against its mother's chest, his heart constricted at the sight of the two and he flinched at the unexpected emotion that shocked and surprised him. "He's beautiful," he finally murmured. He looked up and was taken aback by the intensity of the woman's stare as brown eyes bore into his.

She gave him a small, tired smile, her face lined with the strain of labour. Taking a deep breath, she whispered softy, "He's beautiful like his father..." Clearing her throat, she composed herself as she stared longingly at the head of black hair.

_Fate. _

Then summoning her remaining strength, she shifted and curled her arm around the baby. Lifting her other hand weakly, she grasped the tiny foot that was sticking out of the robe. Brushing the tiny extremity briefly, she gave a satisfied murmur before she untied her robe and exposed a breast. When she pushed her baby towards a nipple, InuYasha looked away, embarrassed. The baby, smelling its mother's milk, eagerly pursed his lips around the engorged nipple and began sucking.

As the baby continued to nurse, InuYasha watched the scene discreetly from the corner of his eye. The dying embers of the fire lit the woman and baby in a halo of light, casting dark shadows and shapes around them and the hanyou sat reverently at the sight before him.

After a few moments — still feeling a bit self conscious — he edged a little closer. His curiosity overpowered his embarrassment as he lost all pretense of not watching and stared directly at the tiny lips suckling the breast. He had never witnessed a child birth before and was still awestruck and numbed by the sudden events that had taken place. The cave smelled of blood, sweat and tears. Normally such a combination would make him sick to his stomach, but now he took it all in stride, the smells forgotten at the wonder of the miracle that he had just witnessed. A sharp, unexpected pang hit him in the chest as he looked at the mother and babe and he shifted uncomfortably as a feeling of possessiveness welled up inside of him. He was so enthralled with watching the baby that he missed the tender look on the woman's face as she glanced up at him.

She regarded him for a few moments before she smiled wistfully and turned her attention back to her child. She moved the edge of the haori away from the baby's face, giving InuYasha an unobstructed view as she stroked the full cheeks of the sleepy infant. The fourteen hour labour had taken its toll and the woman was slowly weakening from the strain of childbirth. Her hands slipped to her sides and InuYasha quickly leaned forward to support the baby.

The woman desperately tried to retain her strength, for her baby's sake, but she knew that her child was in good hands. Tampering down her mixed emotions, the young woman gave a feeble sigh and closed her eyes, finally giving into the fatigue.

"Hold on," the hanyou pleaded in quiet desperation, clutching the baby to his chest. "Please, just hold on."

_Take good care of our son, InuYasha. I love you. _

Those were the last thoughts of Kagome Takahashi as she slipped into oblivion.


	2. Here and Now

**Chapter 1: Here and Now**

**9 months earlier – Modern Era**

"InuYasha, we have to get up. We need to get ready for the meeting," Kagome Takahashi laughed as her lover pressed himself against her body effectively pinning her to the bed.

"Hmmm…." He was in no hurry to get off of the girl as he buried his face into her hair, inhaling her intoxicating scent. Trapping her underneath him, he braced his arms to support his weight, an inscrutable look on his face as he looked down at her.

"InuYasha?"

He graced her with a roguish grin before he slowly caressed his thumb down the brow of her eye and across her check. Her heart beat with anticipation as he teasingly traced her full lips before bringing his mouth down on hers in a deep kiss. Moaning, she closed her eyes with pleasure, but was startled when he abruptly pulled out of her arms and straddled her hips. He inwardly smirked when disappointment flirted through her eyes. Did she really think he would give up _that _easily? Obviously she did as she took a deep breath and tried to move. How many mornings have they gone through this same scenario? She _should_ know better. His weight kept her still. Kagome shot a questioning look up at him and he returned a predatory one at her. Her heartbeat quickened.

Holding her gaze, he lifted her fingers to his mouth and slowly tasted each digit with licks and sucks, sending delicious shivers down her body. Releasing her hand, he leaned over her and lightly danced his claws over her sensitive flesh, teasing her nipples, bringing them to heated peaks. When she arched her back in reflex and a surrendering moan escaped her lips, he knew he had her.

Burning heat danced along her flesh and her breath came out in short pants, but she still protested weakly, "InuYasha, our meeting…"

"Fuck the meeting." Continuing to explore her body with his warm masculine hands, he placed wet open mouthed kisses along her collarbone, his lips and tongue tasting every inch of her.

"But, InuYasha…" A well-placed nip to her neck made her breath hitch. "We're supposed to give updates on the projects —"

"Fuck the projects."

"You can't say that… you're, ahhh… you're the boss—"

Kagome's argument was lost in a sea of tingling sensations as InuYasha moved his lips to her breast and sensuously swirled a nipple in his mouth. Feeling Kagome tremble under his touch, he licked and nipped his way to her other breast, his mouth hot and sweet against her bare skin. "Fuck the boss."

A glint of humour sparkled in her sex-glazed eyes as she slowly dragged herself from the fire that was consuming her. "Ah… I think I already have," she managed to gasp out.

"Then fuck him again," Yash replied silkily as he nudged her knees further apart and slid into her, carnal desire pulsing in his every thrust. She raked her hands down the muscles of his back, pressing him closer to her as she raised her hips up to meet his demanding movements. Thoughts of the meeting fled their minds as they succumbed to the passion.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome emerged from the walk-in closet straightening her white blouse and tailored navy skirt, the matching jacket slung on the crook of her arm. She stood listening for a moment to the shower blasting in the adjoining ensuite and smiled as she imagined the naked hanyou on the other side. She was filled with a fierce sense of pride that he was hers, but she quickly shook off her daydreaming when the water suddenly turned off. Striding to the dresser, she slipped on her thin gold bangle before pulling a hairbrush hastily through her hair. She tried to tiptoe out of the room before InuYasha heard her. No such luck; not with the hanyou's sharp hearing.

"I can hear you out there. You sure you don't want to stay in bed a little longer?"

InuYasha's deep teasing tone put a wide grin on Kagome's face. She giggled out a 'no' before she rushed out of the bedroom, closing the door firmly behind her. Still smiling, she slipped her arms into the jacket and raked her fingers through her hair.

She glanced at the clock and sighed as she heard the blow dryer being turned on from inside the room. They were definitely going to be late for their 9:00 meeting. Shaking her head, she knew better than to rush the hanyou. In fact, she was staying exactly where she was so that InuYasha could get ready in private. If she entered their bedroom now with him still undressed, she knew exactly what would happen next. They would not only be late for their meeting, but they would not even make it in at all today. They had called in 'sick' too many times to count and the staff were beginning to notice. Sesshomaru had already chastised the couple for 'their lack of control' and 'acting like sex-starved teenagers' as he called it, so he wouldn't be too pleased if they didn't show up for work today. She blew out a frustrated breath. In the futile hopes of getting to work in a timely manner, Kagome had insisted on taking separate showers, but damn if her husband still didn't find other pleasurable ways to detain her in the mornings. Not that she minded. No, she didn't mind at all.

_Bet Sesshomaru will have something to say about it though_, Kagome thought wryly as she entered the kitchen to throw together a quick breakfast. Pushing her brother-in-law from her mind, she turned on the radio and began humming quietly to herself. As she pulled fruit and sweetbread from the cupboards, she thought back to the past few months and grinned. She still couldn't believe how her life had drastically changed in eight short months. At the beginning of the year, she was still working in Canada for the Matsumoto Corporation, a division of the Takahashi Group, in which she was now legally a co-owner by virtue of marrying InuYasha, one of its founders.

She had returned to Japan after a five year absence to give a report to the Takahashi Group on the hanyou transformation charm she had been working on. It was with ironic shock when she discovered that the owners of the Group were none other than Sesshomaru and InuYasha. At first Kagome was elated to see the hanyou again, but that joy soon turned to despair when it was revealed that he still harboured resentment towards her for their breakup five years earlier. Trying to overcome the fact that the love of her life hated her, she threw all of her efforts into the project that Sesshomaru had demanded be completed in a short, two month period. Along with her project co-chair and best friend, Kazuki Matsumoto, and their team of scientists, Kagome worked tirelessly on the charm. It wasn't until Kagome discovered that the solution was extinct butterfly youkai that a plan was formed for her to return to the Feudal era to acquire the missing link. Before she had gone back through the well, she and InuYasha had reunited, both confessing their true feelings for each other. It wasn't until she returned that all misunderstandings and secrets between the couple were finally cleared up.

Racing against time, Kagome threw herself into her work as soon as she returned with the butterfly youkai. Completing a prototype charm in time for a press release, she and Kazuki had breathed a huge sigh of relief. They had done it. They had completed what no other team had managed to accomplish: a transformation charm that would allow hanyou the ability to be disguised as humans without losing their youki abilities. The press conference to demonstrate the prototype charm was a complete success and shortly after that, The Matsumoto Corporation announced the restructuring of their departments under the new direction of Kazuki's older brother. With the hanyou science department being reallocated to Japan, it was an easy decision to make in offering Kagome and Kazuki permanent positions at the Takahashi Group.

At the same time, Kagome and InuYasha were also planning their wedding. Hoping to be married as soon as the project was in the production stage at the beginning of the new year, the couple were thrown into a tailspin when Nori, Kagome's mother, announced that the only reasonable date for the two to be married was in June of _this_ year. According to the astrological calendar this was the perfect date for the couple to wed as all the proper elements aligned correctly. Kagome was surprised that her mother believed in such fallacy, but when Nori explained that was what Jii-Chan would have wanted, Kagome relented. She knew how much it would have meant to her superstitious grandfather for them to wed on a date that held such great luck and prosperity. It was a fitting tribute to the memory of him. And after Yash heard the other dates available, he readily agreed as well. After all, the next suitable date wasn't until 18 months later and there was no way in hell that he would wait that long to make Kagome officially his.

The two of them hardly had time to breathe as they were thrown into a whirlwind of activities. In between meetings and projects, Kagome found herself looking at wedding kimonos and planning her special day. She thanked the Kami that she had the help of her mother who organized the majority of the festivities. She also relied on the help of her good friend and co-worker, Sakura, and even Souta's girlfriend, Aimi, was happy to pitch in.

The original plan was to have the ceremony held at the Shrine in front of the Goshinboku, but the security threat in such an open space hindered the date that was set for the wedding. A proper barrier could not be set up in time and InuYasha would have had to wear his concealment charm. Kagome adamantly declared that she was going to marry InuYasha in his hanyou form and that was the only thing that mattered; she cared about was _who_ she was marrying, not where. So they found themselves standing side by side in Sesshomaru's bonsai garden, surrounded by family and close friends when they finally joined their lives in matrimony.

It was supposed to be a sunny day when they wed, but as always the forecast was wrong. Gray clouds swirled overhead and light raindrops fell from the sky as Kagome walked slowly down the stone path, her heart beating with anticipation. Even the light precipitation hitting the white canvas overhead couldn't dampen her spirits as she rounded the bend and locked eyes with InuYasha. If anything, the rain added its beat to the procession as Kagome made her way towards her future husband. As she looked upon InuYasha, so handsome in his traditional black haori, her chest swelled up with pride and surreal awe that she was finally going to marry the man of her dreams. In front of their loved ones, Yash Takahashi and Kagome Higurashi exchanged vows and began the first day of the rest of their lives together; the future bright and shiny before them.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome exited the kitchen with a small blue bag that held their impromptu breakfast and placed it by her handbag before walking over to the hearth that centered the living room.

Feeling nostalgic, she gently brushed her fingertips against an ivory coloured plaque anchored on the contemporary stone fireplace. She caressed the center piece lovingly as she read the inscription.

_A soul without love_

_A body without breath_

_A heart without a beat_

_To live without is to not live at all_

_~ InuYasha and Kagome ~_

_Live and be happy_

_~ Miroku and Sango ~_

A pair of warm, strong arms encircled her waist and sighing contently, she leaned back and rested against her husband.

"I miss them," she said.

InuYasha looked at the plaque for a moment before admitting quietly, "I do too."

"It's only been a few months since I went back. Does time really heal all wounds?"

InuYasha sighed. Turning his wife around to face him, he held her in his arms and rested his forehead against hers. "No," he said, "time doesn't heal all wounds. Hell, it doesn't even come close. The ache never goes away." Shrugging lightly, he continued, "You just learn to live with it." His eyes met hers and suddenly Kagome had the feeling that he wasn't talking about Miroku and Sango anymore.

She reached up and brushed the tendril of hair that fell across his cheek. "How come I have the feeling that we just changed the subject?"

His lips curled into half a smile. "Probably because we have."

They stared at each other, each thinking of the time when she had begged him to let her go. Such a short time ago for Kagome, centuries for InuYasha.

"I'm sorry—"

Her words were abruptly cut off as he claimed her lips. Breaking the kiss, he whispered huskily, "Don't be sorry. Don't ever be sorry for that again. Understand?"

Nodding slightly, she stared up at him with a watery smile. "I love you."

Smiling down at her, the melancholy moment was broken when he kissed the tip of her nose lightly. "Love you, too." Reluctantly letting her go, he turned and picked up his briefcase. "Ready to go to work, Mrs. Takahashi?"

She grinned at him as she slipped her shoes on and said, "I like the sound of that."

Giving her a smile that warmed her heart, he replied, "I do, too."

Kagome turned back one last time to look at the plaque.

_Thank you, my friends_.

Turning around, she entwined her fingers in InuYasha's and followed him out the door into the morning light.


	3. The Meeting

**Chapter 2: The Meeting**

The scenic drive was punctuated with teasing, touching and innuendos as Yash and Kagome sped to work. Being married for only three months they were still in the honeymoon phase. Only problem was that they hadn't taken a honeymoon as of yet. Work kept them too busy and Kagome would have felt too guilty if she went on a holiday and left Kazuki to run the lab by himself. Yash wanted nothing more than to whisk his wife away to some secluded spot and shut the world away, but the businessman in him understood the nature of the industry they were in so he didn't push very hard for a honeymoon. But now that the transformation charm was completed and ready for production, perhaps they could take the much needed break that they longed for. At least he hoped so.

They pulled up to the Takahashi Group thirty minutes after leaving the house. Yash could have driven there faster — and he had in the past— but he liked spending time with Kagome, and he took advantage any opportunity he could. They were already late, so what was 10 more minutes?

Ever the gentleman, he opened the door for his wife and silently watched as she gracefully exited the car. His gaze couldn't help but travel to the small of her back down to her sleek calves prominently displayed by the two inch heels she wore. His eyes quickly turned upward when she tossed him a sunny smile. Returning it, he reached for her hand and they walked in comfortable silence into the building.

Entering the reception area, they were greeted with the rush of youkai and humans alike hurrying through doors and security personnel busily scanning screens, ever on the alert for anything suspicious. It was the hum of a typical Monday morning that filled the air. A security guard glanced up as they passed, gave Yash a brief nod before going back to his monitoring duties. Other than that brief acknowledgement, no one paid any attention to them as they crossed the lobby towards the elevators. Upon entering the lift, Yash punched a code into the side panel and waited until the red light turned off before pressing the button to take them up to the boardrooms. He gave his wife a cocky smile before he drew her into his arms. "Hmmm... you smell so good," he murmured as he nuzzled her hair. "Like vanilla and cream."

"It must be the shampoo." Kagome's laugh turned into a gasp as InuYasha moved his mouth slowly across her brow and cheekbones before reaching her lips. Lost in the tidal wave of heat and emotion, Kagome eagerly kissed him back, both of them oblivious to their surroundings until the chime of the elevator disrupted them.

"InuYasha…" Kagome managed to breathe out as his tongue lightly traced the hollow of her throat as his hands wandered over the curves of her hips and thighs. "Stop scenting me."

A husky chuckle sounded in her ear. "Never."

"I think everyone knows by now that I'm your wife. I don't need to smell like you _all_ the time."

"No," he admitted grudgingly, "but it _is_ fun." With an exaggerated sigh that made Kagome giggle, he let her go and stepped back to allow her to exit the elevator first.

-x-x-x-x-

"Sorry, we're late." Yash and Kagome entered the boardroom as ten pairs of eyes centered on the couple. "Ah… car trouble," Yash explained as he took his seat beside Sesshomaru.

"Hn." Giving the couple a disapproving look, Sesshomaru raised a brow and let the matter drop.

Kagome sat down beside her research partner, took out her files and proceeded to organize them in front of her.

"Car trouble, huh?" Kazuki Matsumoto leaned in to whisper, "Then how come Yash has lipstick on his neck?"

Kagome whipped her eyes to said hanyou, noticing no lipstick on his neck. Turning to glare at her partner and catching his amusement, she hissed under the breath, "Not funny, Kaz."

Trying to suppress his mirth, Kazuki murmured, "Yeah, it is."

"Kaz, I swear—"

"Ahem." Sesshomaru cleared his throat while fixing a look on the two.

Kagome blushed as she noticed that everyone, with the exception of InuYasha and Sesshomaru's secretary, Rini — who gave her a sympathetic glance — was now staring at her and Kazuki. _Great_, _why_ _do_ _all_ _my_ _meetings_ _start_ _out_ _like_ _this_? the miko thought as she shot Sesshomaru an apologetic look.

The inu-youkai proceeded to start the meeting, going swiftly through the agenda and getting updates from his department heads.

Sneaking a peek at InuYasha, Kagome's heart fluttered as she discreetly watched the way he tilted his head as he studied the papers in front of him, his one ear flickering like it was swatting a pesky bug. A secret smiled played on Kagome's lips; she was still caught up in the amorous feelings that their elevator ride had created. As if he felt her gaze, Yash looked up slowly. Smirking slightly, he cocked his brow before he gave her a saucy wink.

Smiling broadly back at him, Kagome suddenly forgot about everyone else in the room, until a quick nudge to her right brought her back to reality. Quickly shooting an irritated glance at her lab partner, who simply shook his head, she focused her attention to Dr. Juro Watanabe who was currently speaking.

"… and we've been featured in all the scientific journals and their reports have been very favourable." He gestured at the pile of magazines in front of him. "We will complete production in one month." He basked in Sesshomaru's approval as the older youkai nodded. Throwing a smug look at the other scientists, he continued, "And scenting project 365 will be completed in the next two weeks. The formula gave us no problems."

Juro finished his update with a smirk in Kagome's direction. Luckily for him, at that exact moment, Yash was looking the other way and missed it. Kagome, on the other hand, caught the arrogant expression aimed at her.

Feeling happy and content only seconds before, Kagome's mood took a tumble as she looked away from Juro. While she had never personally worked with the inu-youkai before, she had always tried to be cordial whenever she was in his presence. And to be fair, most times he reciprocated and acted in kind as well. But the times, like now, when he was all pompous and arrogant, it took all of her will not to wipe that smirk off his face. Sure, InuYasha smirked at her all the time, but when her husband did it, it was _sexy_, never condescending like the one presented to her now. Tempering her annoyance, she pointedly ignored Juro to concentrate her attention on the meeting.

Sesshomaru turned to Kazuki and Kagome and asked about the hanyou transformation charm.

"We did more testing after the press conference and the results were conclusive. Operations has given Gourou the green light. He's working his PR magic and the final marketing push will start this fall with production slated for the new year as planned. Here's our final project report." Kazuki slid two documents down the table. Yash flipped through the report, but Sesshomaru — after a cursory glance — handed his copy to his secretary.

Kazuki sat back in his chair, a wide smile of satisfaction on his face, not bothering to hide his sigh of relief. This project was the accumulation of five years of hard work and it finally paid off. All the long hours in the lab, the sleepless nights, the frustration, sometimes the anger, it had all been worth it in the end. And with the sense of accomplishment came the feeling of satisfaction of a job well done. But Kazuki was a professional; the feeling of contentment that came with putting a project to rest would soon fade as he delved hard into the next assignment.

"And the osteoarthritis injection?" Sesshomaru asked.

"The project's been delayed twice because we were waiting for the rheumatology department to free up one of their doctors. We now have Taec on board working with Fuji and Sakura," Kagome said. "Kazuki and I have started on the neurological sensing."

"Hn." Sesshomaru's non-committal reply gave Kagome pause and before she could open her mouth to question the inu-youkai, he side-stepped her and addressed the other scientists in the room. Forty-five minutes later when everyone had given their updates, the meeting dispersed in a flurry of shuffling papers. Sesshomaru watched silently as his staff gathered up their files and left the room before he turned his attention to the three research chairs that he had asked to stay behind.

It was quiet in the room as the remaining occupants waited for Sesshomaru to begin, but the inu-youkai simply stared at them. Kagome shifted uncomfortably in her seat and casted a questioning glance at Yash, who gave her a slight shrug signaling that he had no idea what his brother was thinking.

Finally Sesshomaru said, "General Haru Matsumoto has requested a special assignment. Since it is a highly confidential one, I have decided to put together a small team to run it. Juro, Kazuki, I'm pulling you both from your current projects to work on this together. Kagome, we may need your miko powers at a later stage, but for now I want you to proceed with your current assignments."

"What kind of project are we talking about?" Kazuki asked.

"We have a meeting set up with General Matsumoto this afternoon. We will discuss the details then."

Kazuki was a scientist and damn if he let things bother him, but he couldn't control the anxious feeling creeping into the pit of his stomach. Highly confidential? Hell, if the Army was involved, highly suspicious was more like it. Sesshomaru was looking at him as if expecting a retort. Not wanting to create a scene, he simply nodded his agreement. What choice did he have? But he was still curious enough to ask, "Why us?" He glanced at Juro. "It's no secret that we're not… compatible work partners."

Juro snorted. "It's obvious why you were asked to be on the project. If it wasn't for the fact that he's your uncle—"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?"

"It has everything—"

"Enough." Sesshomaru cut in. He frowned at his research chairs. It was no secret that there was no love lost between the two scientists, but when Haru came to him with the request, he had no choice.

Kagome laid her hand on Kazuki's arm to try to calm her partner down. She could feel his anger pulsing beneath her fingers but as the seconds passed, she felt the knotted muscles under her hand slowly drain of tension. Kazuki was very much a touchy-feely individual and he responded well to touch, especially from someone as close to him as Kagome.

"Kagome, will you have enough resources to continue with your projects?" Yash, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. A scowl crossed his face as he fixated his attention to her slender hand on Kazuki's arm.

Smiling understandably, she removed her hand before she answered, "If we can have Taec full time, he can continue working with Sakura and Fuji can assist me. It'll be tight, but manageable."

Satisfied now that she was no longer touching the bastard, Yash nodded, hopes of a honeymoon dissolving with this newest revelation. "Pull whatever resources you need for either project, including any of Juro's staff as well."

"You're pulling my staff?" Juro protested as he looked over at Sesshomaru for confirmation. "I wasn't informed of that decision!"

"You are now."

Juro scowled and shot Kagome a dark look as he made no effort to hide his distaste. "Fine, but they're not going to like working under a—"

"Juro." Sesshomaru's sharp reprimand sliced through the air.

Sesshomaru didn't need to look at his brother to know that Yash was ready to jump up and vehemently defend his wife. With his fists. "Your staff will assist _Dr. Takahashi_ where they are needed. If they have a problem with that, they can come talk to _me_," Sesshomaru interjected as he placed a firm grip on his brother's arm before he could react. He shot a glance at Kagome and noted with approval that she had a firm grip on Kazuki's arm as well. Good. Between the two of them, they could keep the two hanyou from tearing the room _and_ Juro apart.

Yash slouched back into his chair and internally seethed. _Fucker_.

Juro had the wisdom to shut up before he pushed the Takahashi brothers too far. He almost did and he had no doubt it would have landed him out on his ass. Literally. He would have to watch his words around Sesshomaru. He sat back and clamped his mouth shut but not without casting a look at Yash and Kazuki.

Kagome was still staring at Juro and was the only one who noticed that something flashed in his eyes as he looked at both hanyou. _Disdain? Mockery? Contempt? Hatred?_ Before Kagome could decipher what it was, his dark countenance masked into a blank expression. Uneasiness curled in the pit of her stomach. She never did think too highly of the other scientist. Sure, his academic record was impeccable, but talent could only get you so far. Kagome secretly thought that the inu-youkai harboured deep-rooted prejudices against humans, but she always pushed those thoughts away. Always one to give someone the benefit of the doubt, she was sometimes too kind-hearted for her own good. Too trusting was what InuYasha always said. She couldn't help it. It was her nature, but she couldn't shake the nagging feeling whenever she was around Juro, especially given the fact that he took an extreme dislike to her and Kazuki from the first time they met. From the looks of it, he wasn't a big fan of her husband's either. Unsettled by her thoughts, she made a mental note to ask InuYash about Juro later.

"We are professionals here. You will act as such." Sesshomaru's tone dared anyone to argue with him. No one did.

The tension in the room was still palpable, but it was no longer thick enough to cut with a knife. It only needed a few words laced with underlying threats from Sesshomaru to disperse the hostility. "Good. It's settled then."

The intercom on the side table came to life as a voice said, "Mr. Takahashi, your 11:00 appointment has arrived."

"Thank you, Mrs. Ito." Sesshomaru asked if there was anything else that needed to be discussed. At the shake of heads, he pushed his chair back and stood up, signaling the end of the meeting. He watched as the occupants filed out of the room one by one, leaving only Sesshomaru and Yash standing by the table.

"He needs to be reprimanded," Yash said darkly.

"He will be. His behavior was uncalled for," Sesshomaru said in agreement.

Not mollified, Yash muttered, "I still don't understand why you keep him around."

"Because he's good. He's been our best scientist for years. Until Kagome and Kazuki joined The Group." Sesshomaru pondered for a minute. "Perhaps that is the problem."

"Jealousy? You think that's an excuse to act like a pompous ass?"

"Hn. Let me handle this."

Yash nodded and started to exit the room. "And Yash." He paused and turned at Sesshomaru's voice. "Don't deactivate any more security cameras in the elevators."


	4. What Are Your Beliefs?

**Chapter 3: What Are Your Beliefs?**

Kagome was absently twirling her hair when the bitter taste of eraser brought her out of her musings. Pulling the pencil away from her lips, she looked down in disgust. _Ewww_… Shaking her head, she reached for a bottle of water to wash the rubbery taste out of her mouth. Glancing around the room, she suddenly realized that she was alone in the lab.

It was rare that the department was deserted like this. Usually the place was bustling with activity, youkai and humans alike streaming in and out.

Humming softly to herself, she stood up and stretched. She gave an inward groan as her skirt made a sticky sound as it separated from the leather chair. Ugh. Not only was her forehead beaded with sweat, but there was sweat in places she didn't even _want _to think about. It was stifling hot in the lab today. She looked wryly at the thermostat which normally regulated the air flow, but the new security system Sesshomaru was putting in place put all heating cooling units out of commission for the day. Why didn't she remember the memo that was issued last week stating that very fact? Wiping her brow, she blew air into her bangs, fanning herself to keep the heat at bay. She only succeeded in making herself hotter. Looking around at the deserted lab, she shook her head. No wonder her staff wasn't around.

And where was Kazuki? He had made a brief appearance early in the morning and she hadn't seen him since. She had asked him about the meeting he had yesterday with Sesshomaru and General Matsumoto, but he evaded her questions and proceeded to spend the rest of the morning scowling at no one in particular. She had never seen him in such a foul mood and could only assume it was a result of the meeting. He was definitely avoiding the subject with her. She frowned. She just hoped he wasn't avoiding _her_. Maybe he was just getting relief from the heat like everyone else. Pushing aside her papers, she thought she would do the same. With those thoughts in mind, she went to seek a nice glass of cold green tea and to hunt down her research partner.

-x-x-x-x-

It took Kagome twenty minutes to finally track Kazuki down, asking every youkai she encountered if they had seen him. Following their leads, she finally found him outside at a picnic table turned make-shift desk, elbow deep in work. Without youkai senses, she was lucky she had found him, partly hidden as he was amidst the trees, furiously typing away at his laptop. "So this is where you've been hiding."

Kazuki looked up, startled. He was so concentrated on his work that he didn't notice her approaching. "Yeah, it's too damn hot inside." He closed his laptop as Kagome slid into the seat across from him.

"What are you working on?"

A ghost of smile appeared on his face. "It's a secret. I could tell you, but then I have to kill you."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Ha-ha. Very funny. Seriously."

Giving her a look she could not fathom, he said, "Just a project."

"_Just_ a project? When do you work on _just_ a project, hmmm?" Her grin was quickly replaced by a worried expression when he gave her a tired smile. It was then she finally noticed that his eyes were glazed with fatigue and his shoulders lined with tension. How did she missed the tell tale signs of exhaustion written all over his face? She was mildly alarmed to see him like this and asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

Rubbing his face tiredly, he said, "Yeah. I just didn't sleep well last night. I guess I was a little cranky this morning."

"Just a little, huh?" Reaching across the table, she grasped his hand. "Want to talk about it?"

Kagome watched her friend wordlessly when he didn't answer. This was not like Kazuki. He was always the optimist, quick to joke and laugh. He was the one who made everyone _else _smile and to see him like this worried her. Kagome knew he needed an outlet for his frustrations — a friend to listen — so she kept silent, waiting patiently, allowing him to gather his thoughts.

Kazuki refused to meet her gaze, instead concentrating on his hand entwined in hers on the wooden surface.

_What does The Takahashi Group__ do for__the National Army__?_ Kazuki chuckled darkly to himself as he followed Kagome's thumb running lightly across his wrist. He had asked a Group representative once that very question when he first arrived in Japan. Curiosity had made him ask, but now he's sorry that he did. Ignorance was bliss and he wished very much that he was still in the dark. That and the other worry that plagued him made him want to pound his fist into something. The mixture of frustration and helplessness was a feeling he was not accustomed to and he just didn't know how to handle it. Normally he would talk it out with Kagome. She was such a soothing presence for him. She made him see reason and she was someone whom he could always bounced ideas off of, but in this case, she couldn't help. Well, she _could_ help, but he didn't want to add the burden to her shoulders. She was blissfully happy and it wasn't fair for him to destroy that. He would protect her as long as he possibly could.

Oh, but he so badly wanted to tell her. About _everything_. But, he rationalized to himself, he _could_ tell Kagome about the meeting. After all, Sesshomaru was planning to bring her into the project at a later date. Hell, she was married to the owner. She would probably find out from Yash sooner or later, and if she was going to hear about it, it might as well be from him.

As if contemplating what to say, he hesitated before he lifted his eyes to hers. The resolve firm in his gaze, he proceeded to tell her about the meeting, leaving nothing out.

Kagome sat stunned as he finished. Even though she was married to the owner, gauging from her reaction, she had no idea the military contracts The Takahashi Group had. Her voice low, she finally said, "Wow."

"Yeah, wow." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Now you know why I'm so upset about the whole thing. I can't help feeling guilty because it was our transformation charm that initiated this project in the first place. And having Uncle Haru involved… hell, I don't know anymore." He raked a frustrated hand through his hair. "I didn't sign up to be a military scientist, Kags. All I ever wanted to do was to help others and now I'm being asked to do this? It goes against everything I believe in."

"Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is. You don't know if they'll use this as a weapon. Surely your uncle won't—"

His lips curled into a smile, but the light didn't quite reach his eyes. "Let's not sugar coat this, darling. They want an identity cloaking talisman and we're to believe that they'll use it for good? My uncle reassured me that everything was on the up and up. He told me things he _knew_ I wantedto hear, but this is the Youkai Army we're talking about. Led by my _uncle_. You don't know him like I do. He's… he's a _soldier_. War-hardened fighter, no remorse, no mercy type youkai. The Army is his life. He's not going to be using this to help hanyou babies, that's for sure."

"What are you going to do?"

Concern was evident in her voice and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "I really don't have a choice, do I?" He tried to keep his voice light, but bitterness laced his words.

Kagome recalled a time where she stood at the edge of a well, those precise words pulsating through her head, her heart. What choice did she have? To go or to stay. It had been her choice then. She quietly tucked the memories back into her heart and looked at her friend. She knew that fate always played a role in their decisions, that no matter what they did, some invisible hand always seemed to guide them. Decisions. Actions. Consequences. Karma. Things always seem to come full circle. She, of all people, knew this to be true. But how to put these thoughts and feelings into words? She couldn't, so she didn't even try. Instead she said, "We all have choices, Kaz. All we can do is pray that we make the right one."

"As scientists, don't we try to live by that philosophy, Kags? Pray that we're doing the right thing, day after day?" He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for the reminder, darling. But unfortunately, this time around the decision's been made for me. They already have both technologies in their back pockets. They just need me and Juro to put it all together. If I don't do it, they'll just get someone else to and there's no way in hell I'd let anyone tamper with our transformation charm." He straightened his shoulders in determination. "It's better this way. At least I can keep my eye out on what's happening even if I can't stop it."

"And knowing you, Kazuki Matsumoto, you'll make sure they keep on the straight and narrow."

This time when he smiled at her, it reached his eyes. Even if it didn't solve all of his worries, just talking to Kagome made him feel a million times better.

Kagome smiled brightly back, glad for the small indication that her friend's mood was lifting.

The smile suddenly froze on his face and his whole body stiffened as he looked past her.

Twisting to see what he was staring at, Kagome followed his gaze to Sesshomaru entering the outside terrace with General Matsumoto and Juro in tow.

"Speak of the devil."

"Are you talking about your uncle or Juro?"

Kazuki laughed, a genuine laugh that lifted Kagome's spirits. "Honestly, I'm not sure who I'd rather deal with right now. I love Uncle and all, but… well, shit, he can be a hard youkai to deal with sometimes. And he's family, so it's not like I can brush _him_ off. And Juro, hell, I don't know how long I'll last before I throttle him."

"But can you work with him?"

"No," Kazuki replied honestly. "But I will. It wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't always constantly putting hanyou down. He's got a self-righteous stick shoved up his ass so deep that—".

"InuYasha said that if he wasn't such a great scientist, he wouldn't be here," Kagome interrupted before Kazuki went on a tirade about the other scientist. He was already riding a rollercoaster of emotions and she had just prevented his downward spiral a few minutes ago. She didn't want his temper to flare now.

"I won't argue that he's good. It's just too damn bad he's so prejudice."

She watched as the trio stopped under a section of trees, Juro talking animatedly "But he's done so much good for the youkai community, you would think it would change him."

Kazuki snorted. "He's not like us, Kags. He doesn't give a damn about who he's helping out as long as he gets his reward in the end." He shook his head in disgust. "Notice that he's never taken on any hanyou projects? He's a full blown youkai worshipping that uncontaminated bloodline and he's not going to change."

Kagome contemplated what he had said. She stared at Sesshomaru thinking of a time when all he wanted to do was eradicate his younger hanyou brother. "I knew a youkai like that once, but he changed," she said softly. "No, I think you're wrong, Kaz. Youkai can change. Even the most prejudiced ones."

Kazuki was about to retort, but hesitated as he followed her gaze, watching as his Uncle Haru followed Sesshomaru down a stone path. "Yeah," he agreed quietly. "You're right, Kags. They can change."

-x-x-x-x-

"Why didn't you tell me about the project for General Matsumoto?" Kagome demanded of her husband as she stood in front of him, hours later, the bright lights of his office echoed out into the gloom of the night outside.

Yash looked up as his wife stormed into his office. "Because you didn't ask."

She opened her mouth in astonishment. "Because I didn't ask? InuYasha!"

Watching his wife in such a snit almost brought a smile to his face, but he tampered it down and calmly said, "Kagome, the meeting happened yesterday. I didn't get the chance to tell you yet. If you recall, we didn't do much talking last night." He cocked his brow at her as he reminded her of the delicious ways they had communicated instead.

"Oh." Her anger deflated as she stood awkwardly in front of his desk.

Leaning back in his chair, he asked, "I take it Kazuki filled you in?"

Bringing up her friend ignited her disapproval again. "Yes, and I can't believe you authorized such a project. The ethics—"

"This project is in the best interest of everyone."

"How can it be the best interest of everyone if it's for military use? Kazuki is really distraught over this. He thinks it's a weapon. InuYasha, how can you condone such a thing?"

"Kagome, stop listening to that lab partner of yours," he said firmly. His wife was loving and loyal and fiercely protective. If he was honest with himself, she was a lot like him, so Yash could understand her feelings. But dammit, she was _his _wife and the more she defended Kazuki, the more aggravated he got. It was still a sore spot between them, the way she always stood up for her partner, and it always seemed to flare the jealous rage in him when she did.

"But he's my friend."

"And I'm your husband," he shot back.

Kagome flinched but stood her ground as they stared at each other, neither of them backing down until she finally looked away and quietly said, "I know." The heat had gone out of her voice and when she sidestepped backwards as if to turn away, the scent of unshed tears filled his nose. _Fuck_.

His countenance softened as he went around the desk. She tried to scoot out of his reach, but he was too quick and before she could draw a breath, she found herself trapped between his legs as he leaned back against his desk.

Getting angry wouldn't do either of them any good. He gently brushed the pad of his thumb across her cheek. "I don't want to argue."

She subconsciously ducked her chin down. Yash knew she was too strong-willed to intentionally make a submissive gesture like that, but the sight of it plainly said that she was yielding. The message was clear to him as if she had spoken the words out loud.

He gathered Kagome to him and simply held her.

She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her nose against his neck. Pride be damned when her husband was so warm and masculine and safe.

Feeling Kagome's defiance fade, the last of Yash's irritation died as well.

She snuggled against him and muffled into his shirt. "I'm sorry, InuYasha. I don't want to argue either. It's just been a really rough day."

He kissed her lightly on the forehead before he said, "I'm sorry, too, but, Kagome, you have to realize that this company was founded to protect the interests of all youkai. We do what we must to survive in this world." He flicked an ear at her. "You understand that, don't you?"

Reaching up, she stroked the soft appendage between her fingers and said softly, "I do understand, InuYasha. But the Army's going to use this—"

"Is that you or Kazuki talking?"

At her silence, he sighed and tried to reason with her. "Kazuki's being irrational. He's a youkai, working in a youkai company for the good of us all. He's got a job to do and he should do it. Not whine like a baby when he doesn't get his way."

"InuYasha!"

"Ka-Go-Me." The slow way he pronounced each syllable of her name brought a resisted smile to her face. She furrowed her brows and tried to purse her lips, and he tried hard not to laugh at her feigned indignant look.

"Be nice," she gently admonished. "Kaz is one of the most laid back, optimistic individuals I know, and he's really upset over this project. We've been through some stressful times before, but I've never seen him like this.

"Fine, let him rant and rave to get it out of his system if he has to. But in the end, he still has a job to do."

"But it doesn't seem fair to ask him to do something he's so dead set against."

"Whoever said life was fair, Kagome? If it was, hanyou won't have to hide behind disguises to be able to walk down the street. We wouldn't have to fear for our lives if we got caught unawares. Ambushed, mobbed if we were ever found out. Hunted."

She looked up at him, contrite written all over her face. Her voice small, she apologized. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—."

He pressed his finger to her lips. "I know you didn't mean it, Kagome. But trust me on this. Sesshomaru feels this project is in the best interest of the company. If it wasn't, he wouldn't do it. No matter who's asking. If he was against the project, not even the General could sway him. Sess has protected the interests of youkai for hundreds of years now. It's why he has so much influence in the youkai world. They trust him because he's built an empire to protect them and he has only the best working under him. The best researchers, the best doctors, the best scientists." He gave her a gentle squeeze. "Even the best miko. Whether we like it or not, we have to remember that Sess has never steered this company wrong before. He won't now."

She squeezed him back. "Don't be so modest, InuYasha. It's your company, too. So half the credit you try so hard to heap on Sesshomaru should go to you, too."

Warmth spread throughout his chest at the pride evident in her voice and expression. Her bright-eyed confidence in his abilities made him feel invincible, like he could do anything. He didn't think he could love her any more than he already did, but when she looked at him like that, his heart swelled up with so much love he thought it would burst.

"I'm sorry for doubting, InuYasha. It's just hard…"

"I'm not saying it's not hard, Kagome. We're always faced with tough decisions. Sometimes, we must do things we know are wrong because in the end it's the right thing to do."

He sounded so much like his older brother that she did a double-take.

"What?"

She shrugged. "Nothing."

He grinned, reading her expression correctly. "Still getting use to me actually _thinking_ before I speak?"

"No!" She grinned back as she protested. "More like trying to make sense of the infamous Takahashi cryptic talk." She stuck her tongue out at him, making him burst out in laughter and hugging her tighter.

Fiddling with the beads on his necklace, she asked, "So you're asking me to trust Sesshomaru on this?"

"No." He pulled back and gently cupped her chin, locking eyes with her. "I'm asking you to trust _me_."

"Oh, InuYasha, I do, you know I do."

-x-x-x-x-

"If I had asked _you_ to run this project, would you?" He asked her later as they lay in bed.

Propping herself up on her elbow, she looked into the face of the man she had loved since she was fifteen years old and simply said, "Yes."


	5. Who's the Boss?

Citrusy lime warning.

**Chapter 4: Who's the Boss?**

It had been a long day. _Who would have thought that meetings could be so draining_? Kagome thought as she kicked off her shoes as she walked through the door of their house. She awkwardly hugged a huge box to her chest as she smiled softly to herself, imagining her staff's reaction to her gift.

"Who the hell would leave a coffee machine at our front door?" Yash's curiosity was piqued as he took the big, clumsy box out of Kagome's arms, carrying it to the living room table and putting it down.

"It's a new drink dispenser for the lab. I asked Sota to pick it up for me since he was going downtown today," Kagome cheerfully explained as she watched Yash tilt the box and examine the instructions on it. Peering over his shoulder, she pointed to the pictures illustrated on the side. "An individual hot beverage maker that allows consumers to prepare an assortment of hot beverages, including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, espresso, latte, and cappuccino," she quoted. "I've always wanted one of these. Our other machine has had it. I think Kaz used it too much." She laughed as she remembered the sour look on her lab partner's face as his favourite coffee machine spat out a nasty gooey concoction last week. "Sakura and Fuji don't drink coffee, so this way Kaz can have his coffee and everyone else can have something else."

She looked thoughtfully for a moment. "I have to admit, it's also a kind of welcoming gift to Juro's staff members too. I'm a little nervous about them joining our department tomorrow."

InuYasha looked up surprised. "Why? They're good scientists. I'm sure they'll be more than capable in helping you with your projects."

"No, it's not that." Kagome fiddled with the tape at the corner of the box. "It's just that Juro wasn't too receptive of the idea of me being in charge of his staff. That's why I hesitated so long in even asking for their assistance. But with Kaz gone so much, we really could use the extra help." She shrugged. "I just didn't want to create any bad feelings between our departments. I swear Juro hates me."

A derisive look crossed Yash's face. "Juro hates everybody."

"Why?"

Yash snorted. "Because he's an ass. A damn smart ass, I'll give him that. But he's not there to make friends. He's there to work. I told you not to worry about him. Sess and I had a little talk with him and he's been warned to keep his mouth to himself and to stop causing rifts. He won't be causing any more problems."

"But, he's just so… unapproachable."

"You can't make friends with everybody." When she lowered her eyes and bit down on her lip, he looked at her suspiciously. He could just imagine the wheels turning in her head. "Get that thought out of your head and leave Juro alone." When she remained silent, he shook her slightly. "Kagome…"

"Oh, all right…"

"I mean it, Kagome."

Yash stared pointedly at her until she finally conceded, "I said, all right, I'll leave him alone."

"Damn straight you will." He took his leather jacket off and threw it on the loveseat. "Besides, there are other things we need to think about."

"Like what?"

He turned to face her. "Like our honeymoon."

"Oh, InuYasha, I can't think about leaving now."

"Why not?"

"Because it's not a good time to go. Kaz has been gone so much this past week. And tomorrow we have Juro's staff coming in. And..."

Yash sighed. "And what?"

"I just… I just don't want everyone to think that it's preferential treatment. Juro already thinks it's favouritism that General Matsumoto requested Kazuki for his project. What do you think he'll say when you start pulling his staff to help my department and then I go off on a holiday? They'll think its nepotism."

"Nepotism, my ass," he snorted. "Your department is understaffed; we're allocating resources to cover where needed. If anyone thinks that's favouritism, they can kiss my ass. As for Kazuki." He shrugged. "There's a good reason Sesshomaru pulled him for that project. No one should even question that one. And if you want nepotism, then what about Sesshomaru hiring the runt to paint pictures, huh? So if he commissions Shippo again and the staff cries foul, he'll have to get some half-assed painter instead, hmmm?"

Kagome shook her head, a hint of a smile appearing on her lips. "That's not the same and you know it. Okay, even if it's not nepotism, I'm still not comfortable leaving now. I shouldn't be going on a holiday when we're neck deep in work."

"Kami, Kagome. It's our _honeymoon_," InuYasha scowled. "Your projects don't even have urgent deadlines. You'll have enough staff on-hand while you're gone. It's the opportune time to go. Don't you think it's high time we had a honeymoon?"

"Yes," she admitted, "it is time we had one, but I just don't know. It still wouldn't look good…"

"Who the fuck cares what it looks like? Your department is covered; it's all good, so stop worrying about it. If someone doesn't like it, they can go to hell. Better yet, send them to see me." He smiled wickedly, one corner of his mouth curved up exposing a fang.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome said, "InuYasha, you are not going to start beating up your staff. They'll throw you in jail for that."

"Who said anything about beating them up," he countered back evilly.

"InuYasha…"

The hanyou chuckled and pulled her close, trapping her hands between their chests. "We _are_ going on a honeymoon. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, Kagome. We're going because I said so. After all, I _am _the boss."

Kagome arched her brow in slight irritation. "InuYasha, you say that entirely too much. You are _not_ the boss of me."

She caught the humour dancing in his eyes before he leaned closer and stared into her eyes. Her breath hitched in anticipation as his eyes darkened from amber to molten gold. "Oh no?" His voice oozed like warm melted butter over her. Holding her tight, he kissed her slowly, deeply. When he felt her knees about to buckle, he broke away.

Trying to control her pounding heart, Kagome stared up at him. "InuYasha… that's…that's not fair," she complained breathlessly. "You can't always distract me like that."

"Why not?" He purred as his hands roamed over her hips to rest on her curve of her spine, pulling her against him.

Feeling his hardening desire, Kagome tried to let reason back into her jumbled mind. She wanted nothing more than to let her husband distract her. After all, he was just _so_ good at it. But a small part of her reared its defiant head. InuYasha seemed to think that he could distract her with sex whenever he wanted. Well, two could play this game.

Decision made, a determined glint filtered through her eyes, disappearing as fast as it appeared. Pressing closer to her husband, she gripped the collar of his shirt and gave him a sly look and said, "The boss, huh?"

A slightly amused, cocky smirk appeared on his face. "Yup. _The_ boss."

"Well, _Mr._ Takahashi, since you_ are_ the boss, why don't I make you more comfortable?" she said in a low, suggestive voice as she stepped out of his embrace. She hooked her fingers in his and led him to the couch.

Keeping her eyes locked on his, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off of his body. She trailed her hands lightly down his chest, to his hip, to his tailbone, then sliding slowly up his spine. A knowing smile crossed her lips as he shivered at her touch and his breathing became slow and heavy. When his pupils dilated with desire, she had to control her own breathing as she took in the raw masculine power of the man in front of her. Her inner resolve almost faltered, but she straightened up, determined to see this through.

Powerful emotions surged through Yash's veins as he willed himself to stand still. His hands itched to grab her, but he clenched them at his sides. Damn, he loved this aggressive side of her. She was outrageously sexy and it turned him on like there was no tomorrow. With half closed eyes he waited to see what she would do next. He didn't have to wait long as she slowly leaned forward and flicked her tongue out against a taut nipple, eliciting a low moan from him.

His breathing became ragged as he watched her with predatory eyes when she undid his belt and loosened his pants. "Have a seat, _Mr._ Takahashi," she cooed before she pushed him back against the soft white leather. His eyes burning into hers, she gave him a slow seductive smile before she reached down to slowly slip off her panties.

It was utter torture for InuYasha to just sit there when his youki was screaming for him to just grab her and take her. He wanted to bury himself inside of her. Now. Trying to control his instinctive urge, he bit his lip and hissed when she straddled his lap, her skirt riding high around her hips. InuYasha automatically grabbed her bottom and slid his hand between her thighs, making her gasp. Her arousal was intoxicating and he could bury himself in her scent. "You are _so_ ready for me, _Mrs._ Takahashi," he rasped, his voice heavy with need.

A smirk that the hanyou normally wore made its way onto Kagome's lips. Pressing her mouth against his neck, she said huskily, "The better to fuck you with." A low pleased growl sounded by her ear as she placed hot kisses along his collarbone. Leaning back, she quickly stripped off her blouse and bra and tossed them aside. She rubbed enticingly against his frame as she grounded her hips suggestively against him, making him suck in his breath with a hiss. Raw emotions coursed through his body as he gripped her hips and leaned up to catch her mouth with his.

Kagome put her hands on his chest and pushed back slightly, avoiding his kiss, and raised her eyes to meet the sex-glazed look of her husband. He seemed dazed as he tried to focus his gaze on her eyes, continually shifting his stare to her mouth as if he desperately wanted to kiss her. A slight smile curved on Kagome's lips as she shook her head. _Not yet_.

Yash tampered down his impatience. Up until this point, he was quite pleased with his self control, even as he clenched his teeth and sweat began to bead on his chest from the exertion of trying not to lose control. But when he tried to lift her up to impale her on him and she warded off his hands, he couldn't help the guttural growl that escaped his lips. Frustrated by her denial, he issued a throaty warning and she teasingly murmured, "Tsk, tsk, patience, love."

"Fuck it, wench," he gritted out.

Kagome laughed provocatively and teasingly trailed her fingers down between their bodies, down his muscular chest, past his chiseled abs, lightly brushing his naval until her hand grasped his hard length, eliciting a strangled moan from her husband. "No, not yet." Shifting slightly, she raised her hips and slowly lowered herself until she enclosed around him. "But I am now."

He groaned in approval as she grabbed his shoulders for leverage and began to move them as one, setting the pace, provokingly slow at first, and then quickening her motions. She grounded against him and arched her back, her long black hair thrown back. She moaned breathlessly as he held her tight and began moving his own hips to match her thrusts. Fisting her hands into his hair, she gave a low enticing laugh and whispered teasingly against his ear, "Who's the boss now?"

A low rumbling growl and a deep, bruising kiss was her only answer.

* * *

A/N: When I first started this story, I was hoping to post more frequently, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. For a very brief time, I hated my story, so not only a lack of time played a part in the infrequent postings, but the self doubt crept in too. So, if you've left a review or faved my story, thank you! It's nice to know that someone likes my story. Hope you still do. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	6. Making Plans

**Chapter 5: Making Plans**

Sesshomaru drummed his long elegant claws on his desk impatiently waiting for Haru to return his call. Sparing a glance at the silent phone, he replayed the conversation he had a few minutes ago with Takumi Matsumoto, Kazuki's father and Haru's younger brother. He was hoping to garner information from the other inu-youkai about Haru's military project and although Takumi was cordial and friendly, his conversation with him did not reveal what he wanted to know.

With scarce information given to him, Sesshomaru had misgivings about the project from the very beginning. But Haru had reassured him that he had no intention of using the talisman as a weapon. He simply wanted a single prototype for a special mission. He had only one request: that his nephew was in charge of the project. Sesshomaru had no qualms with Haru's request. It only made sense that Kazuki oversaw a project that would be based upon the transformation charm he had created with Kagome. It was the assignment itself that Sesshomaru had concerns about. When he pressed for details about the mission, Haru simply stated that it was a matter of International security and that he could not indulge any more information at this time. _International security?_ That raised Sesshomaru's suspicions even further. What type of catastrophe would occur without this so-called special mission?

If it was anyone else who had requested this assignment, Sesshomaru would have flatly refused, but it was Haru asking, and he had to admit that it was out of respect and loyalty to the old ways that he agreed so readily with the general. His father would have approved of upholding goodwill between their two families.

The Matsumoto brother's ancestry was strong; almost as strong as Sesshomaru and Yash's lineage. While Sesshomaru's father was the Inu no Tashio — the leader of the dog demons — Haru and Takumi's father was a close second in command. And the fact that Haru and Takumi were twins made them powerful indeed. Tradition indicated that when inu-youkai twins were born, the weaker one would be killed at birth to allow the stronger one to thrive. To have both brothers not only survive the first few days of birth, but flourish to become strong youkai attested to the powerful pedigree of the Matsumoto clan. It was unheard of in the youkai world and a feat that had not been rivaled since.

_The world we know will cease to exist if this mission is not completed. You will have to trust me, Sesshomaru._ Haru's words at their last meeting echoed in his head as he pondered the situation.

Trust. It was a very fragile thing trust was and Sesshomaru did not give it lightly. He had known Haru for a very long time and he trusted the other inu-youkai. To a point.

Although he considered him a good friend, Sesshomaru had no disillusions about the general. Haru was a warrior and he wasn't much different than he was 500 years ago. Ruthless cunning still shimmered underneath the surface of the general even if the years had mellowed him. At one point, they had even been adversaries — albeit it was a very brief time — but adversaries nonetheless. Years ago, Haru and his army had waged a war; a war that Sesshomaru was never interested in. He simply stood by at a distance — an observer — neither supportive nor objective to the other youkai's stance. Not until Haru's war came to Rin's village. That was the first and only time Sesshomaru put his foot down. But that was a very long time ago.

It was Takumi that Sesshomaru had more trust in. The two Mastumoto brothers could not have been more different than night and day. Haru being the oldest was the natural leader, a strong warrior who casted his fate hundreds of years ago when he pledged his life to the military. He had never taken a women, never had children. Takumi, on the other hand, was the scholar; the compassionate one, making his life's objective to help others. Kazuki was very much his father's son.

Sesshomaru knew that Haru would never do anything drastic without the approval of his younger sibling. It had always been that way. He frowned. That meant Takumi had been lying to him on the phone when he pleaded ignorance of the project. Takumi was not the deceitful type and it puzzled Sesshomaru why his old friend would be lying now. Not only was Haru avoiding his calls, but Takumi was being evasive as well. That didn't bode well. Not at all. _What were the Matsumoto brothers up to?_

The brothers had better provide adequate answers soon or Sesshomaru would scrape the project before it had even begun. The assignment was already causing problems among his staff. He knew he was taking a risk by pairing Kazuki with Juro, but he had hoped the two would put aside their personal feelings and be able to work cooperatively together. He had always prided in the fact that all his employees were happy and content. He would not allow dissention in his company. Yash had been keeping him informed about the welfare of his staff, so he was well aware of the stress that Kazuki was under and his personal struggle with the project itself. And Juro? Well, he would just have to keep a tight rein on that particular youkai.

Sesshomaru glanced at his watch. 10:30. He had been waiting for Haru to call back for twenty minutes now. Trying to stem his impatience, his thoughts turned to his own brother.

As soon as he stepped into his office, Yash had been waiting for him. He hid his surprise well at seeing his younger sibling so early in the morning. Yash was not known for his punctuality nor for his decorum as he demonstrated by immediately launching into a tirade about the mental health of their researchers. Sesshomaru knew that Yash's frustrations stemmed from his over protectiveness of his wife, so he had calmly gone about his morning duties while allowing his brother to rant. Yash ended his outburst by declaring that he was taking Kagome on a honeymoon. _About time_, Sesshomaru had almost said out loud, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Yash then suggested that they put a temporary halt on Haru's project allowing Kazuki to return to his own lab.

Yash's idea seemed like a perfectly acceptable solution — it would buy him some time to figure out Haru's true intentions — so he had no objections.

Although he had no doubts that Yash's primary motive behind his suggestion was his wife, Sesshomaru could not help the sneaky suspicion that his younger brother was also sympathetic towards Kazuki's plight as well. Not that Yash would ever admit to such a thing, but his younger brother almost seemed concerned about Kazuki's mental state. When Sesshomaru casually mentioned this fact, Yash hotly denied it, saying that he only wanted to alleviate Kagome's uneasiness about leaving. But the way his brother looked away and would not meet his eye made Sesshomaru believe that it was more than the miko's welfare that his brother had been concerned about. His lips curved slightly. After all these years it still amused him to torment his younger sibling.

His amusement was short-lived as he thought about Yash's parting words. "You better be right about this, Sess." Yash had warned him. "Because if you're not…"

Yash had not finished his sentence, but Sesshomaru knew what his brother had implied. _Because if I'm not, then everything we have built will be destroyed._

He swiveled his chair to look out the window. His gaze swept over the impressive grounds of the corporation that he and Yash had built — taking in the rolling hills and the trees — the buildings where their fortunes were made. The sun hovered in the eastern sky, its light casted about the land engulfing the youkai and humans who walked the grounds. He watched activities in full swing in the autumn heat. This was their life's work, their empire. All the years cultivating what they had now would mean nothing if Haru betrayed them.

He had assured Yash that everything was under his control, but his younger brother only shot him a skeptical look before issuing another warning. "I hope you know what you're doing, Sess."

Sesshomaru leaned further back in his chair and returned his gaze to the phone, willing it to ring. When it remained silent, he suppressed a sigh and continued his vigilant watch.

_So do I, InuYasha, so do I_.

-x-x-x-x-

_So where do you want to go for our honeymoon? _

Her husband's words bounced in Kagome's head. She blushed slightly as she recalled the events of the previous evening. After their little tryst on the couch, InuYasha had carried her to bed and whispered something about payback time as he relentlessly made her body squirm and thrash and beg with his expert hands and mouth.

Her eyes glowed with warmth as she recalled how he had gathered her into his arms afterwards and whispered endearments of love in her ear, cuddling her as if she was the most precious thing in the world. Now, a full twelve hours later, she could still feel the warmth of his lips and his body. Thinking about it made her heart swell with love for her husband.

_A honeymoon_. Once her hanyou got the idea into his head, he wouldn't let it go. He was unyielding in his persistence and Kagome smiled at his very effective persuasion as she had moaned out a promise to go— she would have promised him anything the way her body was on fire, anything at all if only he would just quench her desire. And boy did he ever.

InuYasha had wanted two weeks, Kagome insisted on just a few days. In the end, they compromised with one week. One whole glorious week with just her and InuYasha.

But now, in the daylight, without the sexual distractions her husband loved to provide her, reality came back full force. She was just so torn about the whole thing. Half of her wanted nothing more than to go away with her husband, but the practical side of her was just not comfortable with the idea of leaving her department now. She just wasn't the type to relax when there was work to be done, and not having Kazuki around didn't help the situation either. She couldn't remember the last time she had taken a holiday. She was just too involved in her work, but, oh, a much needed break sounded like heaven to her and spending time with InuYasha? Absolutely divine.

"Okay, Kagome, get a grip. InuYasha is right. I have no reason not to go. Just let it go and take a holiday," she mentally chastised herself.

She stared out of her office as Juro's staff interacted with her own. They were all getting along splendidly she admitted to herself. She had her doubts, thinking that the newcomers would have the same attitude as their supervisor, but she was wrong. They had no misgivings working for her and for that she was grateful. _They sure like the new drink dispenser_, she thought happily as she watched the group mingle around the machine waiting for their turns.

She placed her cheek against her hand and wondered what Kazuki was doing. She had barely seen him all week, ever since Sesshomaru decided that the project would be moved to the other side of the compound, into a more secured location or "that bunker in hell" as Kazuki called it. He was right, Kagome though wryly, the majority of the building was underground with no windows, no natural light. For any youkai who valued their fresh air and freedom, it was hard to deal with. No wonder Kazuki was always in such a bad mood whenever she saw him. Oh, he tried to hide it when he saw her, but she could tell that he was not happy. And that made her worry for his well-being.

She blew out a breath. Even though she had given in and agreed to a honeymoon with her husband, reservations still clouded her mind. She sighed and pushed it from her thoughts as she turned her attention back to the file on her desk. She had too much work to do to even think about it now. She would just have to have a little chat with Kazuki before she felt comfortable enough with the thought of leaving.

-x-x-x-x-

"Are you sure, Kaz?" Kagome gnawed on her lower lip, concern lining her eyes as she stared across the desk at her friend. It was late afternoon and Kazuki had made a rare appearance at the lab. Kagome wasted no time in cornering him as soon as he had entered his office. "I know how much time you're spending at the other facility, but Sakura and Fuji have already said they can cover the lab when you're not here. And it'll only be a week—"

"It's fine, Kags. Yash put a temporary halt on uncle's project, so I'll be back for at least a week."

Surprise crossed Kagome's face. "InuYasha did that?"

"Yup, he arranged it this morning. What, he didn't tell you?"

"No, no, he didn't." She looked thoughtful as she eyed her friend. Kazuki looked so relaxed, his face free of tension. It was a relief to see him like that, so much like his old self. She was sure it was because he was back at their lab full time and he confirmed it when he said, "I'm looking forward to coming back here. Gives me a break from working with Juro." He leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and stretched his arms before he clasped them behind his head. "You know how stifling it was working there? Made it even worse with the company I've been keeping." He cracked open an eye and looked at her. "You sure you don't want to take two weeks, three?"

She laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. I don't know if I can go for even one week."

He casted an exasperated look her way before he said, "You _need_ to go. You and Yash need to get it out of your systems."

"What does _that_ mean?" she asked. She looked away before he saw the tell-tale blush that crept up her cheeks.

"You know _exactly_ what I mean. Besides, it'll give me a break from having to watch the two of you paw each other."

"We do not paw —" She tried to sound indignant, but stopped when he started laughing. It was good to see him happy again. It was like having the old Kaz back.

She smiled brightly at him. "As long as you're sure you'll be okay running the lab without me."

He placed a hand on his chest and gave her an exaggerated sigh. "I'm pretty sure I won't blow anything up in your absence. I think I can handle it." He held the injured expression for a few seconds before he gave up and grinned at her.

His good spirits were contagious and she giggled at his silliness. "It is a relief to know you'll be here," she admitted.

"Believe me, it's a relief to be back."

"Okay, then, I'm going to hand in my vacation requisition. The boss has to approve it, you know."

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Yeah, right, as if he's going to turn down _your_ holidays. With him."

Grinning at him, she got up and headed towards the door.

"So where are you going?" he asked just as she placed her hand on the door knob.

Turning towards him, she said, "We haven't decided yet. I wanted to go to China to visit Shippo."

"Shippo? You want to see Shippo on your _honeymoon_?"

The 'are you crazy' look he gave her made Kagome almost laugh out loud. That was exactly InuYasha's reaction, too. "It was just a thought," she said in her defense. "We don't get to see Shippo as much as we'd like. He's been so busy lately that he hasn't had a chance to come home."

"Yeah, but your honeymoon…" Kazuki shook his head. Leave it to Kagome to think of visiting her adopted son on her honeymoon. Sheesh. "You know, your _son_ is, like, 600, years older than you. Kinda weird, isn't it?" He teased.

"No, it's _not _weird," she tossed back, grinning. "You're just jealous."

_Maybe I am_. The thought shot through Kazuki like rapid fire before he could stop it. He froze. _Where the fuck did that come from? What the hell? _He inwardly berated himself for even thinking that way when an unexpected pang hit him in the chest as he looked at her. He took a deep breath and tried to mentally shake it off as he suddenly found the file in front of him very fascinating.

Kagome frowned as he gave her a funny look and started fiddling with his papers. After a few moments of watching him in silence, she walked back to the desk and stood in front of him. "Kaz?"

"Yeah?" He wouldn't look at her. Couldn't look at her. Not until he managed to get his emotions under control.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

His lips twitched with a hint of a smile."Just one penny? After I've given you, like, a million dollars worth?"

"Yes. That's all you get. Just one. Well, maybe two." She tried to keep her tone light, but he could hear the concern underlining her words. "Kaz…" She paused and bit her lower lip. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself enough to look up at her. "Yeah, fit as a fiddle. Couldn't be better."

"You know what I mean."

He did know what she meant. Working side by side as long as they have, they could practically read each other's thoughts by now. Well, _almost_. He knew that Kagome was no longer talking about her holiday plans and that the discussion had just turned to his uncle's military contract.

"Yeah, I do. And it'll be okay."

When she shot him an unconvinced look, he smiled and reiterated, "Don't worry about it, Kags. I've got my head screwed on straight again. Or as straight as it will ever get." At her smile, he continued. "See that over there?" He gestured to his right and she followed his gaze to the magnetic bulletin board hung on the side wall. The board was adorned with thank you cards, letters and photos from families that had benefitted from their research. It was the irrefutable evidence that all of their hard work had paid off.

Kagome's expression softened and her lips parted into a gentle smile as she gazed at the photos of the hanyou babies that framed the board.

A lump formed in Kazuki's throat as he saw the hint of longing lingering in the depths of her eyes. He swallowed hard. Seriously, what was wrong with him? He was turning into a mushy, emotional hanyou. Shaking his head in disgust, he cleared his throat and said, "That's proof, isn't it, Kags, that we're doing the right thing? It's why we're here. To make lives easier for all hanyou. Those thank you notes, the photos, those lives. That's all the confirmation I need to know that I'm doing the right thing. And this military project for my uncle, well…" He shrugged and struggled to find the right words. "If I have to complete it, I will. If that's the price I have to pay to continue helping families like those ones, then I'll do it, because in the end I'll be able to work on the projects that matter to me." He paused, his eyes skipping over the board and finally resting back on Kagome. "And I have to be honest, even though every fibre of my being is telling me there's something wrong with this project, some part of me still wants to please my uncle. Isn't that pathetic?"

Her hand closed over his. "No, Kaz, it's not pathetic. It's only human."

"Yeah, only human," he agreed, chuckling quietly. He engulfed her petite hand in his. "I've made my peace with it, so don't worry anymore. I'll be okay." _And you will be too_.

She held his look, gauging the truthfulness of his words before she gave him a tender smile. Kazuki was like an older brother to her. Outside of InuYasha, he was her best friend and she loved him dearly. She nodded and said, "Okay. But if you need to talk…"

"I know where you are," he finished for her. "I'm serious, Kags, everything is fine. I've been given a week's reprieve from that bunker in hell. I get to hang out here and boss Juro's staff around. And I'm going to drown myself in coffee with that awesome machine you bought."

Her face lit up at that.

"Everything is great, so don't you worry about _anything_, okay? Just go and have fun on your holiday."

She squeezed his hand gratefully. "Thanks, Kaz."

"Anytime, darling."

Giving him one last affectionate look, she took her leave.

Kazuki remained seated, the smile sliding off his face as soon as she left, replaced by an uncharacteristic grave expression. He continued to watch the empty doorway, long after Kagome left. His mood darkening, he shook out of his brooding and flipped open his laptop. He set his jaw and went to work, because, damn, he was running out of time.

-x-x-x-x

Coming back from the Youkai/Human Resources department after dropping off her vacation requisition, Kagome sat at her desk lost in deep thought. She felt much better after her talk with Kazuki. His reassurances that everything was fine helped ease her conscience about leaving. She smiled to herself when she thought about how happy InuYasha was when she went to see him. He was practically purring when Kagome got him to sign her vacation form. Now that it was official that they were going on a honeymoon, it made her absolutely giddy thinking about it.

Kagome sat at her desk, distracted as she thought about all the wonderful places that they could honeymoon. InuYasha had wanted her to decide on the location. Absolutely anywhere she wanted to go and they would book it immediately with the travel agent. Glancing at her watch she decided she could take a little break. Taking the opportunity, she turned on her laptop and searched for travel destinations. The screen quickly filled up with exotic locations and Kagome scrolled through the various pages.

Daydreams filled her head. She imagined running through the sand and surf with InuYasha. Feeling the sea breeze cascade over their bodies as they walked along a moon-light beach. The feel of soft sand beneath their bodies. Gazing up at the stars as they sat by the fire eating ramen.

Wait.

Eating ramen? Where did _that_ come from?

Kagome blinked. And then she suddenly smiled. Yes, eating ramen by the fire, holding each other as they gazed up at the stars.

It was perfect.

-x-x-x-x

Later that evening in the comfort of their own bed, Kagome shifted in her husband's arms. She ran her hand idly over his abs while her warm breath drifted across his equally warm skin. "Thank you for putting that military project on hiatus. Kaz was really happy about it."

"I didn't do it for him. I did it for you," Yash said gruffly before he looked away. "I just wanted to make sure you were comfortable leaving. I didn't want you spending our honeymoon worrying about the lab."

She reached up and cupped his chin. "Juro's staff got along wonderfully with everyone and I was worried about nothing. I would have been fine. You didn't have to put the project on hold, but I'm glad that you did. Thank you. And thank you for helping Kaz, too."

"You're welcome, but I _did_ do it for my own selfish reasons, nothing else."

She stretched her neck to kiss him on the cheek before she said, "You can't fool me, InuYasha. You didn't have to help Kaz, but you did. You understood how difficult it was for him to accept the project, and then having to work in that environment Sesshomaru insisted on didn't help matters much. I know you share his disdain for enclosed spaces so you knew how hard that was for him." She caressed his face lovingly. "You have a good heart, Yash Takahashi, you always did. You try to be so tough, but deep down you are a loving, caring individual, but then I always knew that."

The sweet smile Kagome bestowed on him made his heart clench and he tightened his hold on her. He rubbed her back, lightly stroking her dark hair as he basked in the warm glow of her words. His primary motive _was_ to ease his wife's conscience. If his solution ended up helping Kazuki as well, so be it. And secretly, he _did_ feel bad for the other hanyou. Not a lot, mind you, just a little. Kazuki was a great scientist, a hard worker, and a pretty decent guy. And although Yash always gave him a hard time, he did like the other hanyou. _Well, I like him well enough when he isn't touching my wife._ But damn if he'd tell anyone that, especially Kagome.

"Keh..."

"Don't 'keh' me. I know you care even when you pretend you don't."

When he didn't respond, she just smiled knowingly at him.

He finally grumbled, "If you tell that bastard, I'll just deny it."

Kagome laughed lightly and hugged him. "Oh, InuYasha."

"I mean it, Kagome…"

"I won't tell a soul. I promise." He felt Kagome smile against him as she pressed against his chest, causing his own lips to curve upwards. "And Kazuki is very appreciative." She leaned up and kissed him. "And so am I."

"Really? How appreciative?"

A suggestive smile graced her face before she placed another light kiss on his lips. Straddling his body, she leaned down and kissed his throat, his collarbone, sliding down his chest until her mouth skimmed across his abdomen. "Very, very, _very _appreciative," she said as she slid still further down, her head disappearing under the covers, her warm mouth pressed against his thigh.

"Oh Kami, Kagome…!" Yash lost all coherent thought as his wife showed him just how very appreciative she really was.

-x-x-x-x

Yash threw his head back against the pillow, pulling his wife tight against him and expelled a deep breath. "Damn, woman, you're going to wear me out."

"Just wait until our honeymoon." Kagome giggled when a low rumbling sound of contentment vibrated against her ear. She snuggled closer to her husband, pressing close as she listened to the beat of his strong heart. She loved this part of their lovemaking; the aftermath when they cuddled. Wrapped in his protective arms, she felt so safe and so loved. She could lie like this forever. Closing her eyes, she smiled when she felt him place a kiss on the top of her head.

"Speaking of honeymoons, where should we go? And if you say to visit Shippo…" He gave a mock growl as he placed his hands on her sides.

"Well… we could do a stop-over in China— InuYasha! No!" She giggled madly when his hands squeezed her sides, tickling her. She struggled — her hands pushed against him — trying to get out of his grasp. When he laughingly stopped she fell limply against him, gasping for breath, her face flushed. His heart lightened at the laughter coming from the woman on top of him. He knew how stressed she had been all week and he hated seeing her in that state. To see her so relaxed tonight, it made him happy. Extremely happy. His grin widened.

Trying to catch her breath, she propped herself up on one elbow and grinned down at him. "I don't know if I should tell you now."

She barely had time to expel her breath as he swiftly maneuvered his body, trapping her underneath him. He raised his hands to her sides again. The threat of another tickle session in his raised brow. "Kagome…"

"All right! All right!" Kagome laughingly gave in as she grabbed his hands and held them tight. "I'll tell you!" She smiled up at him and said, "I want to go camping."

"Camping?" He pulled back incredulously. "You're not serious."

"I am." She emphasized with a firm nod.

Unconvinced, he said, "Are you sure? I mean we could go anywhere—"

"Yes, I'm very sure," Kagome interrupted. And before her husband could come up with more excuses, she locked her arms around his neck and pulled him down against her. "Just think, InuYasha, you and me, alone in the woods. It'll be like old times."

Thoughts of lying on crowded sunny beaches dissolved, replaced with images of acres of uninhabited forest — solitude — making love to his wife by the firelight underneath the starry sky.

With his arms braced on either side of her, he said, "Like old times, huh?"

"Hmmm." Kagome arched her neck to playfully nip at his chin. "You know, sitting by the fire, camping underneath the stars. I'll even cook you ramen."

"I suppose you want me to wear my fire rat too?"

"I never thought of that, but now that you mention it, it could be kind of fun to reminisce…" She trailed off teasingly, letting her words sink in.

Yash grinned down at her. "Huh. If I wear my fire-rat, you have to wear your old school uniform."

"Wha —"

"It's only fair."

"InuYasha," Kagome complained. "I don't think I can even fit that anymore!"

"Hmmm. Don't worry, it's not like you'll be wearing it for very long." Kagome knew he was teasing, and the way his eyes twinkled as he looked down at her confirmed it. His eyes held promises that she couldn't wait to take advantage of.

"Well… in that case, I think it's still in the closet at Mama's. Maybe I can find it. And who knows, maybe it will still fit." She lightly caressed her fingers up his back and gave him a bewitching smile when he shuddered against her. "And if it does, I'll wear it."

"Just for me."

"InuYasha, always for you."

His lips caught hers gently swallowing her promise with his sweet kisses.

Keeping his mouth locked on hers, Yash rolled them over until he was lying on his back with Kagome draped over his masculine frame. He held her firmly against him, feeling the beat of her heart against his. Breaking the kiss, his mouth curved into a sexy smirk as he huskily said against her lips, "So, Mrs. Takahashi, want to be the boss again?"

-x-x-x-x

A deep sigh was the only noise in the otherwise quiet room as Kazuki leaned back in his chair. Rubbing his eyes he tried to focus at the task at hand, but the weariness of the day was getting to him.

After his talk with Kagome, he spent the rest of the afternoon catching up with his paperwork before going out for a late dinner with his uncle. The general was annoyed with Sesshomaru for putting his project on hold and was only mollified when Kazuki informed him that the delay was only due to Yash's honeymoon and nothing else. As soon as Haru heard that his irritation ceased. His uncle then filled him in briefly on his latest conversation with Sesshomaru. While he didn't provide details, he did complain about how tired he was of fielding the Takahashi brothers' questions. About how they did not realize the magnitude of the project and its importance.

When Kazuki bluntly asked his uncle to explain it to _him_, Haru had been as ambiguous as ever. The general had said the reassuring words that Kazuki had expected him to say, but then he surprised his nephew by turning philosophical. "All things will unravel in good time, Kaz, my boy. Fate works in mysterious ways and we should not question the whys. We only need to know the hows. And all you need to know right now is that _you_ have to complete this project. Trust me on this one." Why was his normally pragmatic, rational uncle suddenly turning idealistic? It boggled his mind and his uncle's words puzzled him all night. And while he still couldn't shake the suspicious feelings he had, right now he was just too tired to think about it. Besides all this talk about fate mixed with military weapons was hard to digest. Seriously, how could he wrap his head around that? It was giving him a headache. Besides he had other matters to worry about.

He looked at his watch and noticed with surprise that it was almost three o'clock in the morning. After his uncle had dropped him off, he had decided to come back to the lab. It wasn't like he was going to be able to sleep anyways. He was grateful that everyone had already left by the time he came back. He wouldn't have been able to lie to Kagome about why he was there. He didn't know how much longer he could keep her in the dark, but he wasn't ready to tell her. Yet.

Kagome had been so happy lately, and he didn't have the heart to ruin that. He knew how ecstatic she was with Yash. She radiated joy in her demeanour and he rejoiced in her happiness. But every now and then — like this afternoon in his office — when she smiled at him or when the sun lit her hair in a certain way, he would feel a pang in his chest; nostalgia for the way things used to be between them. There were no more late night movies or late night take-outs, no more anything really. She was a married woman and he accepted that fact, but that didn't mean he didn't miss the way things used to be.

He recalled the tender look on her face this afternoon. His eyes narrowed slightly and his stomach tightened like it always did when he thought about it. In fact, he had thought about it quite a bit, the seed of doubt planted when Kagome and Yash first got together. But it wasn't until shortly after their wedding that he started formulating his plan. Still deep in thought he pushed out of his chair and stretched out the kinks in his back. He reached over to flick off his laptop before he gathered his files and locked them securely at the bottom of his desk. He made sure he left no evidence of his work before he headed out of the building and into the darkness.

* * *

Thank you SO very much to everyone who has left a review and/or faved my story! I really appreciate it! And if I had given the wrong impression that I was not going to finish this story, sorry! I promise you this story will be completed. In fact, I know exactly how it's going to end. Thanks for reading! ^_^


	7. All I Need is You

**Chapter 6: All I Need is You**

Dawn was still hours away, but Yash couldn't sleep. Not with the warm, lithe body of his wife draped over him. He lay quietly, breathing softly. A rustle in the bushes perked his ears forward. What was that noise? _Keh, just some animal scrounging for food_. After a few moments, silence descended again and he relaxed. It had been a long, long time since he felt the quietness of the forest, the stillness of the air. With his girl in his arms, he could lay here forever.

Cradling Kagome closer to him, happiness infused in his chest as he tilted his head slightly to gaze down at her sleeping form.

Ever since they had left the city two days ago, a sense of calm had fallen over him and he couldn't help the fervent feeling he had every time he looked at his wife. He thought it would take Kagome longer to relax since he had to practically drag her out of her lab. It was almost dusk by the time they had gone home to grab their supplies. Luckily they had planned ahead and packed everything they had needed the night before.

As promised, Yash donned his red haori much to Kagome's delight. Kagome had tried to keep her own promise, but her hips and bustline had told her in no uncertain terms that she was no longer fifteen years old. She made a wryly face when she couldn't button up the skirt and no matter how much she inhaled her old blouse still stretched taut creating wide gaps of fabric. She felt downright silly for even thinking her old school uniform would still fit, but the way InuYasha's gaze locked on her body made her feel a little bit better.

Thinking of how tight the blouse had stretched across her breasts, the buttons threatening to pop made InuYasha shift his gaze downward. His fire rat hugged the curves of her breasts, hiding the peaks underneath the fabric of red. His eyes softened as he recalled how her face had lit up with pleasure when he had told her that he liked her better curvy.

He continued to watch her in silence, shifting so that he lay on his side, her head cradled on his arm. Her breathing was even and there was something hypnotizing about watching her chest rise and fall. Her face was smooth from anxiety and her lips parted slightly in relaxation. He wanted so badly to kiss her. Ever since they had left the house, he couldn't get enough of her. He just couldn't help himself. The minute they stepped foot in the forest, it was like a release. Release from work, from responsibilities, from obligations. They didn't have to answer to anyone but themselves. And it was heaven. Carrying her on his back like old times, they took off deep into the woods, leaving not only civilization behind but their inhibitions as well. By the time they had set up camp, they had already stopped twice to make love. The first clearing Yash had come to was the first time. He had slid Kagome off his back and pounced on her before she could even blink. Not that she minded he smirked as he recalled just how enthusiastic his wife was. Her soft moans had echoed throughout the clearing as her legs were wrapped tight around his waist. The second time she was pressed up against a tree.

They just couldn't seem to keep their hands or their eyes off of each other. It was like they were making up for lost time. Perhaps they were he mused to himself. In the city, there were always too many distractions and they tried to behave for propriety sake, but out here in the wild with no one to frown upon them, they were free to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. It was exhilarating.

They spent the next day reminiscing through the woods and at night they made love by the fire. Afterwards, they had snuggled, talking deep into the night — about nothing, about everything — finally falling asleep in each other's arms.

Now being awake for the last hour, Yash couldn't help the sudden rush of blood in the lower regions of his body as his wife unconsciously wiggled her petite, naked body against his.

Closing his eyes, he let out a deep breath. _I'm letting her sleep_. _I'm letting her sleep_, he repeated to himself. He took three huge breaths. Under control once more, he opened his eyes and stared down at her. Kagome slept on, oblivious to the way her husband scrutinized her features.

He brushed his free hand lightly down the curve of her body, resting it tenderly on the flat plane of her stomach.

_A baby_.

Three days ago she had told him that she wanted a baby.

_Three days ago, they had left work early to pick up a quick dinner and to pack for their honeymoon. Yash had finished rolling up the sleeping bags and after stuffing them into compression sacks, he had entered their bedroom to find Kagome deep in thought, looking solemnly out the window._

_Standing quietly behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "Everything okay?" _

_Resting against his chest, she was silent for a moment before she hesitantly asked her own question. "InuYasha…" Her voice was so low that he had to lean down to catch her words. "How do you feel about babies?"_

_The question took him by surprise. "Babies? Love them. Why do you ask?" He tossed the question out casually, but his heart began beating rapidly. _

"_I-I just thought…" Kagome stopped and swallowed hard. They had never discussed having children before. Sure, they had discussed hanyou babies at length, but it was all work-related. It was naturally assumed that they would start a family one day, but the subject had never come up. Until now._

_Yash turned her around forcing her to face him. "Kagome, what is it?"_

_With her heart in her throat, Kagome confessed, "I don't want to be on birth control anymore." When her quiet confession was met with silence, Kagome looked up to find intense amber eyes staring at her. _

"_Then don't."_

_Her breath caught in her throat as she studied the serious expression on her husband's face. "InuYasha, do you know what this would mean?"_

"_Well… ah… well, that means if we do it, the chances of having a baby are—"_

"_If we __**do**__ it?" Kagome grinned cheekily at him, the slight tension broken. "When did your vocabulary become so sophisticated, InuYasha?" _

_He returned her grin. "I have a very sophisticated vocabulary. Want to hear it?"_

_She laughed. "No!"_

_He smiled at her before his lips marginally tightened and his tone became serious again. "Are you sure, Kagome? We just got married. You don't think it's too soon?"_

_Kagome looked at him earnestly and shook her head, biting down on her lower lip. "No, I don't think it's too soon," she said softly. Kagome had always wanted to be a mother, but it wasn't until lately that she started to feel that tug in her heart every time she looked at a child, a deep stirring of longing that she could no longer deny. She knew that InuYasha wanted kids too. Once she had overheard him talking to his nephew, Daichi, during one of Sesshomaru's family dinners. She didn't mean to eavesdrop, but she was coming around the corner and caught sight of Yash horsing around with Daichi and his children, each child clinging onto Uncle Yash's leg. Daichi had laughing teased his uncle that it really was about time 'to give him a few first cousins.' Yash had good-humoredly replied that he "would love to have kids of his own someday. If only so that Daichi could babysit." Hiding in the shadows, Kagome could hear the longing in his voice. He was more than ready for children. And so was she. _

"_I thought about it," she admitted. "About us needing time to be just us, but then I think about how we would have had a family by now if we never…" She stopped and looked up when she heard his sigh. "But I can't compare then and now, can I?"_

"_No, we can't compare. But are you sure you're ready?" __He saw the determination in her eyes, but he had to ask, "Are you sure you want a baby?"_

_She watched as an array of emotions flirted across the normally poker-faced hanyou: love, longing, hope. A mirror image of her own emotions._

_Reaching up and framing his face with her slender hands, she placed a kiss on his lips. With her breath warming his mouth and the scent of strawberries from dessert still fresh on her lips, she whispered, "No, InuYasha, I don't want __**a**__ baby. I want __**your**__ baby."_

_His_ baby.

Yash could feel his throat constrict with emotion. Only she could make him feel this way. In his youth if anyone had foretold that he would be one of the wealthiest men in Japan, that others would look up to him, that he would be happily married and trying to start a family of his very own, he would have scoffed at them. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined how deliriously happy he would be. But he was. All thanks to the beautiful angel currently lying in his arms. Ever since that fateful day that he had met her, his whole life had changed for the better. This sweet, beautiful girl who loved him when he didn't even deserve her love. Back when loving a hanyou was akin to loving an abomination.

His hand ghosted over her small frame. He could envision her large with his child and the mere thought filled him with indescribable joy. He sniffed delicately. No, not pregnant yet, but, the Kami willing, she would be soon.

Small murmuring sounds fell from Kagome's slightly parted lips as she snuggled closer to him. The temptation was too much. He had to kiss her. Leaning down, he gently brushed his lips softly against her forehead, feathering kisses along her brows until his lips met hers. He was rewarded when she parted her lips and breathed out "InuYasha." His smile broadened at hearing his name. She was dreaming about him. A soft groan escaped her, and he couldn't help himself. He pressed his mouth against her warm skin as her eyes slowly fluttered open. She snaked her tongue out to wet her lips before she gave him a drowsy smile. His heart melted at the sight of her. She was so beautiful and he couldn't believe that she was his. All his.

When she felt warm lips move over her skin, Kagome closed her eyes and gave into the feeling of pure bliss. A low rumbling sound vibrated against her ear and she smiled as she felt his lips brush her temple, moving slowly across her cheekbones until they were a hair's breath away from her own lips. Anticipating a kiss she parted her mouth, waiting. Her brows creased when nothing happened and she slowly opened her eyes. Her disappointment abruptly vanished at the sight of liquid golden eyes staring deeply into hers. Her heart quickened at his whispered words, "You are so beautiful."

Kagome started to reply, but Yash caressed his thumb over her mouth, effective stopping her words so that he could continue in a hushed tone. "I love watching you sleep." He gently cupped her cheek and slowly stroked the outline of her jaw, resting his fingers lightly on her skin. "I used to watch you all the time, back when we were chasing Naraku. I would be sitting in the trees when you were getting ready for bed and I would sneak down when you fell asleep. I remember the way the fire would cast highlights over you, the light dancing in your hair like fireflies."

He drank in the sight of Kagome's eyes as they darkened into deep pools of melted chocolate. He could drown in those eyes. He brushed her brow gently. "The way your eyelids fluttered when you were in deep sleep."

His attention turned to the full pouty lips that he loved so much. "The way you would sigh and part your lips and make those soft moaning sounds when you were dreaming." He moved his thumb tenderly over her lower lip. "Were you dreaming of me?"

He laid his palm against her cheek as his other hand trailed down the side of her body, cupping a breast. "The way your body moulded into the sleeping bag, all your curves moving and shifting. So soft, so sweet." His lips hovered over hers, lingering, as he whispered, "All those times I watched you I couldn't get enough. I still can't. I could watch you forever."

Kagome was intoxicated with warmth at his words. Her breathing hitched and then quickened as her heart hammered fiercely under his gaze.

His arms encircled hers in a tight embrace before his mouth captured hers in a deep, lingering kiss.

He pulled back. "Kagome…"

She opened her eyes and lost herself in pools of dark amber.

"Thank you," he whispered against her lips.

"For what?" she asked just as softly.

"For loving me."

-x-x-x-x-

Early morning light filtered through the canopy of trees overhead and Yash suppressed yet another urge to wake up the woman pressed against his side. He breathed in deeply, allowing himself to savour the sweetness of her scent before he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. Reluctantly untangling her limbs from his, he was careful not to disturb her slumber before he slipped out of the sleeping bag. Tucking his haori over her sleeping form, he added more wood to the fire before slipping through the trees towards the river.

Kagome awoke to the sound of birds chattering in the trees. There was a slight chill in the air, autumn herald its arrival by blowing a light breeze through the trees which were already changing colour. Kagome shivered and snuggled into her sleeping bag, trying to ignore the pocket of cold echoing in the wide open space beside her. Stretching, she expected to feel her husband, but her arms found only empty air. Shaking the grogginess of sleep away, she heard the sounds of splashing water.

She vaguely remembered the warmth of his lips and a whispered "I'm going for a swim" before a gust of cold slammed into her heated body. She had pulled the sleeping bag over her and cocooned in warmth, she had promptly fallen asleep again.

Now yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around. Shadows still lingered in the trees, but the sun was making an appearance, barely peeking through the horizon. Hearing a splash as if someone had thrown a huge boulder into the water made her smile as she imagined her hanyou in the cold river. _Brrr_. The thought made her scrunch down lower in her covers. InuYasha had promised to take her to a hot springs later and she couldn't wait. But she had to make do with what they had and a cold sponge bath early in the morning did not seem very enticing at the moment.

She would rather have stayed in her sleeping bag until the sun came out to warm her, but nature called and she reluctantly got up. Stretching the stiffness from her joints, she tried to ignore the growing soreness between her legs. The way they were going, she'd be lucky if she could walk by the end of the week, she thought wryly. Looking around, she reached over and slipped on Yash's fire rat, tying it up at the waist.

Kagome rummaged through the backpack and pulled out provisions for breakfast. Setting them beside the fire, she then gathered her clothes before she headed towards the river.

Standing on the bank she took a few moments to admire the lean strong body of her husband cutting through the current as he swam upstream. She watched as the hanyou dipped below the water, his mane of silver hair disappearing beneath the surface.

Stripping out of the haori, she dipped a small wash cloth into the water and began briskly rubbing herself clean before putting on fresh garments. Pursing her lips together to keep them from chattering, she rubbed her arms vigorously to chase the goose bumps away. She sat down, resting against a rock and absently rubbed her stomach. Was she already pregnant? Did they create a child? If not, it wasn't due to InuYasha's lack of enthusiasm or his lack of virility. No, if she didn't get pregnant, it won't be InuYasha's fault but hers.

When they had reminisced through the woods yesterday, Kikyo's name had come up. Kagome's good mood took a turn for the worse as she thought about the consequences of their marriage and she seized the opportunity to voice her concerns to Yash.

"_Did you ever wonder why Kikyo wanted you to turn human?"_

_Yash looked at Kagome in surprise. The topic had come out of nowhere. True, Kikyo's name had been mentioned, but he was taken aback by the blunt way his wife had asked the question. And why in blazes was she asking him __**that**__? She, of all people, knew the answer to that one and the way he cocked his brow plainly told her just that._

_Kagome bit her lip and gathered up her courage to continue her questioning. "What if it was something more?"_

_Yash's curiously won out. "What do you mean?"_

"_What if…" Kagome hesitated, afraid to voice her thoughts. If she said her fears out loud would they become reality?_

"_Kagome?_

_She trained her eyes on his collar, not wanting to meet his gaze. In a low voice, she said, "What if Kikyo knew that by being a miko she couldn't conceive a youkai baby, much less carry one to term? What if that's the real reason she wanted you to be human. What if that was the only way she could have your children? And if that's true, what if __**I**__ can't have your babies?"_

"_That's a lot of 'what ifs'," he said trying to keep his tone light as he gently raked his hand through her hair letting the silky strands fall between his fingers. "And what if it's not as difficult as you're thinking? What if Kikyo just didn't want a hanyou husband?"_

_She whipped her eyes to his, her stress momentarily forgotten as a scowl lined her features. "Why wouldn't she want you as a hanyou?" she demanded. "She fell in love with you as one. She should have married you as one. Why should she want to change you?"_

_Kagome's mood had taken a turn from self pity to anger and Yash hid his smile as he secretly applauded his ingenious method at re-directing Kagome's emotions. He knew this was only temporary and that she would fall back into an emotional funk if he didn't stop her concerns before they escalated. And quite frankly, no matter what he said, the only way to dispel her fears was to get her pregnant. And damn it, he __**was**__ trying. But for now, his words would have to suffice in setting her mind at ease._

"_You know as well as anyone, why. She thought that if we used the Shikon no Tama to turn me into a human then that would be enough to vanquish it forever. She wanted an ordinary life and if she didn't have the burden of being the keeper of the jewel anymore, she could have one. And that ordinary life didn't include a hanyou husband. She fought demons all of her life and she wanted to leave that behind her. She didn't want any reminders."_

_Kagome nodded. She knew all the reasons why and she felt childish asking Yash to repeat it. Yet hearing his words did bring a measure of comfort, even if it didn't erase her fears completely. _

"_How long has this been bothering you?"_

_She buried her face into the folds of his shirt, feeling a bit foolish. "A while."_

_Trying a different tactic, he said, "Kagome, think about it. If your body really wanted to reject mine, do you think I could have made love to you so many times without you trying to purify me, even indirectly? Not once has your body ever rejected mine, so I don't think we need to worry just yet about having fertility problems."_

"_But…"_

"_But what?"_

"_I researched past cases of miko successfully having hanyou babies, but, InuYasha, there hasn't been any! It just isn't done."_

_He gave her a soothing smile. "Well, Dr. Takahashi, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?"_

_A sheepish look crossed her face as she agreed. "Yes. Yes, there is."_

_He kissed her then and then murmured more reassurances: reassurances that did more than anything to calm her frantic heart._

Kagome sighed. Although InuYasha had done a thorough job in cheering her up, she couldn't help the nagging suspicion gnawing at her gut. _What if — NO._ Kagome shook her head. _I will not think like that. It will be just fine_. _And if not, InuYasha is right. We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. _

Pushing away the uneasiness snaking through her thoughts, she focused her attention on her husband. She peeked under her bangs at him, discreetly watching as he lazily floated on his back. He let the current take him downstream as his lean muscular frame caught the rays of light that bounced off his body. He was a like a bronze sun god with his long silver hair drifting out around him. He seemed so carefree with a content grin on his face as he enjoyed the warmth of the sun on his bare skin. She watched as he pulled himself upstream, his muscles flexing effortlessly with the movements. Her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him.

Yash let the current carry him to the edge of the river. He felt invigorated as he pulled himself out of the water. It was just what he needed to start the day. He glanced up and caught sight of Kagome waving cheerfully from her rock.

_He loved her so much._ That thought kept echoing through his head, a mantra beating in his heart every time he looked at her. Ambling his way over to her he made sure to properly flex his muscles, giving her a splendid view of his naked body. The way her face flushed told him that he had achieved his objective. He pulled her onto his lap as soon as he reached her.

She squealed as her body made contact with a wet hanyou. "InuYasha, you're all wet!"

"That's what usually happens when you go swimming," he teased, tightening his hold on her when she tried to break out of his embrace.

Knowing he wouldn't let her go, she settled herself on his lap, wiggling her bottom against him as she made herself comfortable.

His arm tightened around hers, trying vainly to keep her still as his blood rushed southward with her motions. "Kagome," he gritted out," stop squirming around like that." Feeling him hardened against her bottom, Kagome stilled. Yash inhaled deeply and buried his nose into the crook of her neck. "And stop smelling so damn good."

Kagome turned her head around to face him. "It's all your fault for sauntering out of that river all naked and gorgeous." She returned his grin and was tempted to tell him that she had changed her mind after all. So what if she couldn't walk all week. He _could _carry her.

He kissed her soundly as he lay back, pulling her around to face him.

"Argh." He shifted their bodies and reached behind him to dislodge the rock that pushed against his back. He flung the offensive stone across the river and gave a self satisfied smirk when he heard a faint _thunk_ in the distance. "I'm getting too old for this shit," he said, making Kagome giggle.

"Whose bright idea was it to come camping?" He sat up with Kagome still in his arms. "When we could have been making love on a soft, comfortable bed and not on this damn hard ground."

Kagome's lips twitched with merriment. "You never had a problem with it before."

"I was younger then."

"Oh, yes, you're so old now," she teased. "You must be getting soft."

"Getting soft, eh? I'll show you just how _hard_ I am," he teased back as he nuzzled her ear. "Now, where were we?"

Kagome laughed before she pushed out of his arms. "Oh, no you don't! At this rate, I won't be able to walk for the rest of the week. Besides I have to go start breakfast." She pulled at her damp pants. "And I need to change since you've used me as a towel." She stared down in amusement, confirming with her eyes what she had definitely felt against her bottom. "And you, InuYasha, you need another cold shower. In this case, another dip in that river." She giggled as she pointed towards the water.

"At this rate, I'd be dousing myself in cold water every damn minute," he grumbled good-naturally as he tried to grab her hand to hold her in place.

Grinning madly, she sidestepped his advances. Still facing him, she slowly walked backwards as she watched him haul himself off of the ground.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay and help me out?" he said to his wife's retreating figure.

His puppy dog eyes and long suffering sigh made her giggle even more. "And be so sore that I can't walk? Hmmm… let me think about that." She tapped her finger against her chin before she mused out loud, "Well, I guess you could always carry me."

"Feh. Don't tempt me, wench," Yash growled and made a move towards her.

Kagome squealed. Turning around, she dashed through the trees calling back, "I was only kidding! Go cool off!"

Yash watched as his wife escaped back to their camp, her pink sweater and blue capris swallowed by the trees. With a chuckle he shook his head and turned towards the river. So sore she couldn't walk, eh? He could definitely arrange that. After all, they still had four days left.

x-x-x-x-

After a simple breakfast of rice and pickled vegetables, they had set out walking hand in hand through the forest. They spent the morning leisurely exploring the area with Yash pointing out old landmarks and their feudal group's old haunting grounds.

They stopped in a clearing for lunch. It was a beautiful day. The leaves were beginning to change colours, shedding their greenery to morph into the shades of autumn. Soon they would be engulfed in a potpourri of reds, oranges and yellows.

Kagome leaned back against a tree and with eyes closed lifted her face towards the sun to enjoy the midday heat. Yash, with his head in her lap and a stomach full of ramen, gave a contented sigh as he too closed his eyes to enjoy the peacefulness of the forest. They spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence, both basking in the sun, warming their cheeks to a healthy pink hue.

"It's going to rain later." Yash's declaration broke through the silence. "We better find some shelter."

"Hmmm…okay." She murmured her agreement as she stared up at the sky, noticing for the first the cluster of clouds heading their way.

She was still staring upwards when the sound of an airplane ripped through the tranquility of the sky. Turning her head, she caught the tail end of a jumbo jet as it disappeared into the atmosphere leaving behind a trail of white smoke in its wake. They were so wrapped up in each other during the past few days that it was easy to forget that there was a 'real' world out there. The airplane was a sudden reminder that they weren't truly in solitude.

"Do you ever miss the Feudal era?" she asked suddenly.

Following her gaze as he too watched the grey aircraft disappear from their sights, he admitted,

"Sometimes. I miss the silence. The smell of fresh air untouched by pollution. Being able to run hard and free without coming upon traffic or some type of building." He shrugged lightly. "In some ways, the freedom."

They were silent for a while and Kagome thought that the conversation had ended, but Yash continued as if he had been pondering it. "But, if you're asking me if I miss it enough to go back? No, I don't."

"You don't?" Kagome couldn't hide the surprise in her voice.

"No," he said firmly. "I don't. Sure I miss the natural state of the past, no pollution, no traffic, a hell of a lot less people, but it's like looking back on your childhood. You remember and you miss some of it, but to want to go back to it? No, I don't think so."

Their conversation was cut short as the sky suddenly opened up and the rain came down without warning. Kagome shrieked and laughingly jumped on Yash's back as he grabbed their supplies and took off to find shelter from the storm.

-x-x-x-x-

Pitter Patter. Pitter Patter. The light beat of rain fell onto the roof of their shelter. Yash had backtracked to the old abandon shack they had come upon earlier that day. It was a simple, one room hunting shack. The small window was boarded up and where the door should have been was a large gaping hole, but it was relatively clean, and most importantly, dry.

The wind blew a haunting melody through the entrance bringing with it the dampness of the leaves and the sharp sting of wet grass. Kagome inhaled deeply before slowing opening her eyes to gaze across the warm body that she was half laying on. She listened to the beat of the rain as it hit against the shrubs outside. She watched, mesmerized, as beads of water hit the branch of the bush before slowly dripping down to be absorbed into the earth once more. So caught up was she in studying the rain, she didn't notice the amber eyes watching her.

"What are you thinking about?" There was a somberness edging the deep timbre of his voice.

"About what you said earlier. About not wanting to go back." Resting on the hanyou, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the stroking he applied to her hair. "If I didn't become a scientist and none of the hanyou problems existed, I would have been happy to have lived in that era with you back then," she said softly.

"With no hot water coming out of the faucets?" he teased and chuckled softly when he felt her lips curve into a smile.

She gave him an affectionate squeeze. "That's what hot springs are for."

"And leaving your family behind?" He felt her hesitation. "No, Kagome, you were meant for this life, here, now. And I was meant to be here by your side. There's no reason to think of the past. We can't live on the 'what ifs'. We have to live for the present. Here is where we belong. Here is where I can spoil you, give you everything you deserve — a warm, safe house, fancy clothes, jewelry. I can take you to exotic places you've never seen. When we first met, I didn't have anything to my name except the clothes on my back and now that I can afford to give you the world, I plan on doing just that."

"I don't need all that."

"I didn't say you needed it," he said lightly. "I just said I wanted to give it to you."

Giving him a sweet smile that never failed to melt his heart, she said, "I love you no matter where we are, no matter where we go. I just want to be with you, InuYasha. And I don't need any of those things to be happy. All I need is you."

-x-x-x-x-

Two hours later the rain let up enough for them to leave their temporary shelter. Yash, with Kagome on his back, scouted the area to find a more suitable place to camp for the night. Although it was only mid afternoon the sun had disappeared behind a sea of ominous clouds, dropping the temperature a few degrees. The distant rumbling of thunder hurried their pace and they were relieved when they finally found a cave located at the base of a small limestone cliff. It was the perfect refuge from the approaching rainstorm. They hurriedly set up camp, but as Yash looked around the cave, something nudged at the recesses of his mind. Troubled with unease, he pushed the thoughts away before he began to start the fire.

-x-x-x-x-

_I hope InuYasha comes back soon_, Kagome thought anxiously as she stared out at the black clouds overhead. It had started to rain in the late afternoon, slowing down three hours later to a light drizzle before finally stopping. Yash had taken the opportunity to go hunting before the weather took another turn for the worse.

There were in for quite a storm tonight and a cold chill had settled in the air. She pulled Yash's haori closer to her. _If only I didn't drop my jacket into that water!_ On their way to the cave, Kagome had dug her jacket out of the back pack and was trying to put it on when a big gust of wind tore the garment from her fingers. Her coat had landed in the stream, soaking it. Yash had simply shaken his head, teased her about it and then draped his own robe around her shoulders.

_Oh, but if he doesn't come back soon, he'll be soaked_. Kagome fretted as she tried in vain to look through the dimness of the early evening light.

After a few minutes, a light rain began to come down and Kagome hurried back inside. She went to the wood pile and bent down to pick up a piece of kindling to throw into the fire.

_Ouch!_ Not seeing the rut in the dirt floor, Kagome tripped and landed heavily on one knee. She dropped the wood and drew her hand back quickly. Awkwardly hunched on the ground she examined her bloody knee. Her hand was no better off as she clutched at it, undecided which injury she should tend to first.

_Aha! I beat the storm_, Yash thought triumphantly as he entered the cave. He stopped short at the sight that met his eyes. Kagome wrapped in his haori, sitting by the fire as the light weaved into her hair highlighting her dark strands and casting half her face in shadows. The smell of blood and tears.

_The smell of blood and tears…_

All of a sudden he was transported back in time, to another place, to another girl. He stopped, transfixed to the memory he saw in his mind's eye.

_The cave smelled of blood, sweat and tears. Normally such a combination would make him sick to his stomach, but now he took it all in stride, the smells forgotten at the wonder of the miracle that he had just witnessed…_

Fuck. Where did that come from? Yash shook his head in disgust and leaped in to land in front of Kagome. The tears on her face and the scent of her blood scared him. "Kagome, are you all right?"

Hastily rubbing her tears away, Kagome gave him a slight smile. "I'm fine. I was just throwing a piece of wood into the fire and tripped. I'm so clumsy, I'm an idiot." She held out her hand and he noticed the jagged splinter that punctured her palm.

"You're not an idiot. You just need to be more careful," he said gruffly as he rummaged through the backpack, bringing out the first aid kit. Taking her hand, he carefully pulled out the offending splinter. Cleaning and disinfecting her wounds, he bandaged her knee and palm before giving both a quick kiss. "There. All better."

Kagome smiled up at him. "Thank you." Her smile was dazzling and it pierced his heart with the recognition of a long forgotten memory.

"Welcome. Are you hungry?" At her nod, he gave her a chaste kiss on her forehead before turning back to the entrance to pick up the rabbits he had dropped when he first came in. Squatting down, he made a spit and started roasting his spoils over the fire. _It's a good thing I already skinned and gutted these things_, he thought as he took a stick and moved hot coals underneath the rabbits. _I wouldn't have been able to stand the smell of guts and blood in this small space_.

_The smell of blood…_

He looked up and glanced around the enclosure, his brows creased in memories. The rain was coming down strong now, and he could hear the wind howling restlessly against the rocks, filtering through the cave to wail out its eerie song as he lost himself in a storm of memories.

_The fire was here. Right here in this very spot. There. There where Kagome is sitting. That's where she lay giving birth…_

A shard of a memory, fragmented and broken pierced his mind.

_Shit. It was the same cave. Huh_. The hanyou sat back. He hadn't thought of her in a long time, hundreds of years in fact. Why the hell did he think of _her_ now?

She was only a small drop in an ocean of memories. And why he would even think of that long ago incident now made him shake his head. He always did wonder what happened to her. And if he had ever found her again… well, who knows what would have happened? He shook his head wryly. No, it was a good thing he never found her again. His life started to change after that incident in the cave. No, in _this_ cave. He looked around critically again. Yes, it was the same cave: the cave where he witnessed his first and only childbirth.

"InuYasha?" His wife's quiet voice broke into his thoughts and he turned amber eyes to her.

She smiled softly at him. "You were so lost in thought. What are you thinking about?"

"Babies."

"Babies?"

"Yeah." He went to her and gathered her into his arms. Sitting cross legged in front of the fire, he pushed aside her hair so that he could place kisses on her neck. "And how very much I want to make one with you right now."

Kagome's breath came out in a soft hitch. "Right now?"

"Hmmm… yes, right now. We have time before dinner is ready." He moved his hands to untie the robe, exposing the cotton top she was wearing underneath. Sliding his hand under her shirt, he cupped her breast and squeezed lightly, making his wife moan in his mouth.

It was a while before they were finally sated with one another. And it was only the smell of burning meat that made them laughingly pull apart. They took turns feeding each other bits and pieces of meat. Parts of the rabbit were burnt to a crisp while other parts were still undercooked, but Kagome didn't mind. She thought it was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome was almost asleep — lulled by the rhythmic beat of the rain — when she murmured, "So, do you think we made a baby?" She stretched and her arms met with solid muscle as InuYasha wrapped his arms around her torso.

"No," he stated bluntly.

"No?" That woke Kagome up. She tried to twist around to face him, but he pulled her closer to his chest — her bottom resting against his hip — locking her against him. Pulling her head slightly up Kagome caught the amused glint in his eyes before he lowered his lips to nip at her neck.

"I heard that it takes at least five or six tries to get pregnant," the hanyou murmured against her flushed skin.

"Five or six, huh?" she asked breathlessly as his lips wandered onto her shoulder. His fangs grazed lightly over her shoulder blades, sending shivers of anticipation through her.

"Hmmm… maybe it was ten or twelve."

"Ten or twelve?" Kagome asked in amusement.

"Yeah, now that I think about it, it was a really high number."

"I'm sure it was."

"You know what they say. Practice makes perfect."

"Oh, InuYasha, you are perfect." Kagome giggled.

A low rumbling growl sounded in her ear. "I like your answer."

Kagome fluttered her eyelashes at him, a mischievous grin on her lips. "Can we practice some more?"

Her grin was met with a self-satisfied, masculine smirk. "We'll practice all night if we have to," he said huskily before his lips bore down on hers.

He continued to make love to her as the rain came down.

-x-x-x-x-

In the darkness of the night, their warm bodies still coupled — with warm hands on hips and warm lips to temple — whispered words floated above the din of the rain outside.

"I love you."

* * *

A/N: Wow, I can't believe its been so long since my last update - yikes! All I can say is that life gets crazy busy sometimes. As always, thanks for reading and Happy New Year! ^_^


	8. That's What Friends Are For

**Chapter 7: That's What Friends Are For**

The steady clicking of heels on the polished floor vibrated throughout the corridor, the sound echoing off the whitewashed walls. On a normal day, the hollow reverberation would have made the lab-coated figure flinch, but today wasn't a normal day. Smiling secretly to herself, she rounded the corner before scanning her card and entering the closest door to her right. Shutting the door firmly behind her, she leaned against the cool metal, allowing her eyes to adjust to the fluorescent lights that had automatically turned on with her appearance. After a few seconds, she straightened up and resolutely walked towards the other end of the room. Standing in front of glass cabinetry that spanned the entire length of the wall, her gaze skipped across dozens of vials until finally resting upon the one vial she was looking for. Opening a glass panel, she gingerly slipped the vial from its holder. Cradling it carefully in her palm, she couldn't suppress the silly grin on her face. She was simply too happy to contain it. Giddy with daydreams, she recalled the exact moment that she had shared the happy news with her husband and the ensuing debate that had followed.

_What do you think? Pink or blue? Or maybe something more neutral like yellow?_

_How about red?_

_Red? I don't think so. So laughing and be serious, InuYasha!_

_Okay, okay, how about green? Make it feel like a forest._

_Oh, that's not a bad idea. I like it, but then I really do love blue. It is my favourite colour…_

_So, we go with blue._

"I was wondering how to ask you about that."

Kagome whipped around, startled. "Kaz, you scared me!" She held her hand to her heart, feeling the rapid palpitations that the sudden appearance of her friend had caused. Hoping he didn't notice, she hid her other hand behind her back, the vial safely tucked in her palm. Schooling her features, she watched as her lab partner casually crossed his arms and legs and leaned against the doorway. "I thought you were working in the concrete bunker today?" she asked using the nickname they gave to the stone building that Kazuki had been working at for the last few weeks.

He shrugged as a smile played on his lips. "I am, but they do let me out occasionally for good behaviour."

Kagome couldn't help but tease, "Good behaviour, huh? So, that means you don't get out much."

Kazuki laughed. "That's an understatement."

"So… what are you doing here?"

"Hmmm… funny you should ask. I was talking to Fuji and he mentioned how a certain young miko was grinning like a mad fool all morning." That was an understatement. Fact was, as soon as he stepped foot into the lab, he was immediately bombarded with questions from Fuji and Sakura, asking if he knew what was wrong with Kagome. She had been acting strangely all morning, bursting out in laughter at no apparent reason and not playing attention at all to what she was doing. Kazuki listened patiently as they gave him a detailed account of how absent-minded she had been. Kagome always prided herself in her strong work habits, so to act like this was out of character for her. Frankly, Kazuki was amazed that their friends didn't realize what the 'problem' was. As soon as he heard, he knew. But then again, he was expecting this to happen. He didn't tell them what he suspected. No, he'll let Kagome break the news to them herself. Instead he reassured them that Kagome was fine and that he'll talk to her. He then went to seek her out, and he knew exactly where to find her. Now standing here, he noticed how her eyes gleamed bright and how her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She was literally bursting with joy, and no matter how much she tried to tamper it down, it came across loud and clear.

"Oh?" Kagome tried to look innocent, but knew she was failing miserably by the way he raised his brow at her.

"Yeah, something about her head being in the clouds. Sakura and Fuji having to repeat themselves because she wasn't paying any attention to them at all. Like she was in some type of la-la land. Sound familiar?"

"Oh, ah, well…" _Darn, busted_. "If they were talking about me…"

"_If_? Oh, come on, darling, 'fess up, will you? And you're worried about _me_ blowing up the lab."

A huge grin broke out on Kagome's face. She was fairly bursting with the good news and couldn't wait to share it with her friend. She gushed out in one breath, "I have wonderful news, Kaz. I was hoping you were going to be here today. I'm—"

"Pregnant," he finished for her.

"W-wait. You knew? How did you know? We only found out yesterday."

"Lucky guess."

Kagome bounded towards him, excitement etched all over her face. She grabbed his arm and said, "Isn't that great news, Kaz? I didn't think I could get pregnant this fast, but I did and we're so excited! And we took Mama and Sota out for dinner last night. Mama started crying. She can't wait to be a grandmother. And Sota's going to be such a great uncle. He said there was a rocking chair in storage at the shrine and he was going to dig it out for me. I can put it in the nursery, and then we had this discussion on room colours—"

Kazuki couldn't help but grin at Kagome's enthusiasm. He hadn't seen her this happy since her wedding day. When she finally stopped in mid-chatter to take a breath, he took the opportunity to pull her in for a hug. "Congrats, darling."

Hugging him back, she said happily, "Thanks, Kaz."

"How far along are you?"

"A little over two weeks. I'm pretty sure we conceived on our honeymoon when—"

"Geez, Kags! I don't want to hear the details!" He pulled away and covered his ears in mock horror.

She laughed. "Sorry."

"Well, yeah…," Kazuki grumbled good-naturally. "How are you feeling? Any morning sickness?"

"No, thank goodness. In fact, I've been feeling great."

He leaned over and plucked the vial out of her hand. "And what about this?"

She gave him a sheepish look. "Ah, well…"

"You were going to give yourself the shot?" Not waiting for her to answer his rhetorical question, he shook his head. "Seriously, Kags, you could have just asked me."

"I would have asked if you had been around…" Kagome admitted. "You've been so busy lately and I didn't think you'd be here today, but now that you are… could you?"

Kazuki scoffed, "Of course, I'd help. Was there any doubt?" Taking charge, Kaz steered her towards the door, leading her out into the corridor and into another room a few doors down. Once inside, he gestured towards an examination table situated at the center of the room. "Sit down. I want to check your hcG levels first."

Kagome hopped up onto the table before she took off her lab coat and rolled up the sleeve of her blouse. Holding out her arm, she allowed Kazuki to tie a tourniquet on her bicep and watched as he proceeded to clean the area before he stuck a needle into her vein. After filling a test bottle of blood, he popped the needle out. Handing a cotton ball to Kagome to hold against the wound, he said, "I'll run the test as soon as we get back into the lab. Okay, Kags, now pull down your pants."

"Wha—?"

At her fish mouth expression, he said, exasperated humour evident in his voice, "I'm going to stick you, but only with this." He waved another needle in his hand. "Now, lie down."

Snapping her mouth shut, pink hue dusting her cheeks, she murmured, "Oh, right." She did as she was told, watching him all the while as he prepared the syringe. Kagome wasn't use to being half naked around her friend and lying there with her pants down she was embarrassed. There was nothing sexual about it, she knew that, but this fact didn't make her feel any less exposed. Oh, Kami, help her. She'd rather give the shot to herself. But this was Kazuki, and there was no one she trusted more to do this for her than him.

"Nice pink panties."

Her cheeks exploded with colour to match her underwear. She lifted herself off the table but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder.

"Just kidding. Relax, will you?" His bemused smile was soon replaced by a more somber expression. She glanced at him and noted with relief that Kazuki had on his professional face. Fine. If he could be objective about this, so could she. Taking a deep breath, she did as she was told and settled back onto the table.

Nervously gnawing at her lip, she hesitantly asked, "Kaz, can I ask you a question?"

"You know you can. Shoot."

"Well… you remember all the case studies we did with hanyou babies? The increased success rates of births after the mothers received the immunization shots?"

"Hmmm," Kazuki replied nonchalantly. He had an inkling of what Kagome was leading up to, but he waited to hear her out.

"Well… none of the cases involved miko."

"Nope. They were 100% normal women."

"Kazuki Matsumoto! I'm 100% normal!"

Kazuki laughed at her indignation. "Yup, you are. 100% normally reckless, that is."

He expected her to laugh with him, but when his quip was met with silence, he turned to face her. "Hey, Kags, I was just kidding."

"I know," she said quietly, "but do you think this is reckless? Me having a baby?" She bit her lip and waited to hear what her friend would say. He was brilliant in his selected field of work and there was no one she trusted more. She valued his opinions and knew that he would be honest with her in his assessment of her situation.

"No, darling, I don't think you're reckless." He went to stand by her, a bit unnerved by the beseeching look she gave him. He knew she was worried and rightly so. There were dangers involved with her pregnancy. "But I won't lie to you. You know as well as I do that this is a high risk pregnancy, Kags. Being a miko, you're meant to purify youkai, not house one in your body. Your body's natural reaction would be to purify any youki in it. Honestly, I'm surprised you even got pregnant at all. The odds of you carrying a youkai baby were stacked against you from the very beginning." He was being blunt, but he wasn't saying anything she didn't already know. She was a scientist, a miko to boot. Of course, she knew. But she was also a woman and right now she needed some reassurance. "_But_ you're a damn powerful miko, darling. You told me yourself how you've honed your powers. And if there's anyone that can pull this off, it's you."

She was still worried, but his words did make her feel better. She squeezed his hand in thanks. She could always count on her friend to say the right thing to put her mind at ease. "I can and I will. For my baby's sake."

"Do you have a barrier erected?"

"Yes." The one word said so softly carried with it heavy meaning.

Nodding because he expected that answer, he then asked, "Does Yash know about the complications involved?" At the shake of her head, he pressed on, "Kagome, you have to tell him."

"I know," she said in a small voice. "I just don't want to worry him."

He sighed. Leave it to his lab partner to try to protect her baby _and_ her husband. "But he has a right to know. Do you think he would endanger your life if he knew?"

"No, he wouldn't. But like you said, no miko has ever given birth to a youkai baby before, so we don't know what will happen. Maybe, nothing will happen. Maybe it'll all just work out… in the end." A defiant expression crossed her face as hugged her stomach. "But… even if there are complications, this is what I want. More than anything, this baby—" She faltered and swallowed hard. "This is all I ever wanted: to marry InuYasha and have a family. It's all I ever dreamed of." Her brows scrunched in determination. "I want this baby, Kaz. And I'll do anything, _anything_, to protect my child."

He lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "I expect no less from you, Kags. I have every confidence that you'll do everything in your power to protect your baby. And I promise you that I'm going to do everything in _my_ power to help you. So, I don't want you to worry about this, you hear me? I'll be here for you, every step of the way." He lifted up the needle, "Starting now."

He placed his hand on her hip, swabbed her thigh with an antiseptic wipe and was about to inject the needle when the door banged wide open. Startled, the needle jerked out of his hand as he stared at the enraged hanyou that appeared in the doorway.

"WHAT THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU DOING TO MY WIFE?"

Yash snarled as he stood in the doorway. In that split second, all he saw was his wife lying on her side, her pants pulled low and Kazuki with his hands, _his fucking hands_, on his wife's bare hip.

It only took Kazuki a spit second to find his composure again. He flicked a glance at Kagome's surprised face before he calmly said. "What do you think I'm doing?" He adjusted the syringe in his hand and tapped the air bubbles out. "I'm giving your wife a shot. Being pregnant, Kagome needs a series of weekly shots in her first trimester to boost up your baby's youki." Half turning to face the other hanyou, he gave Yash a steady look, "Did you know she was planning to give herself the shot?"

Kagome shot Kazuki a dirty look — which he pretended not to see — before she sat up and peeked over his shoulder. "InuYasha, let me explain."

The red haze evaporated from Yash's eyes and ignoring the other hanyou, he quickly made his way to Kagome's side. His look darkening once again, he bit out, "Do you _mind_ not touching my wife?" He pointedly glared at Kazuki's hand _still_ on his wife's hip.

Raising his hands in defeat, Kazuki flippantly replied, "Fine. You give her the shot then."

"InuYasha," Kagome grabbed her husband's hand as she implored, "I asked Kaz to help. Please let him." Kagome gnawed at her lip, her gaze skipping from one hanyou to the other. Feeling Yash's hesitation, she gripped his hand tighter and said, "And it is easier if he gave me the shot…" She swallowed her words as his sharp gaze turned to her.

"The shot you were going to give yourself?" His voice was deceptively calm, but Kagome knew better. She cringed. She had some explaining to do.

"InuYasha, don't look at me like that. It wasn't going to be that bad, doing it myself." She tried to sound confident, but he heard the waver in her voice. She shot a desperate look at Kaz seeking his help.

"She's right. It's no big deal if she gave herself this first shot. It's a small dosage, so it would have been fine. It's when we get into the second month that the dosage increases and it would have been more difficult for a self-induced shot. Now," he raised the syringe still in his hand, "do you mind if I do this?" He waited until the other hanyou nodded before he swabbed another antiseptic wipe over Kagome's skin. Placing one hand to hold her still, he inserted the needle into her thigh and pressed down on the plunger.

The way his wife gripped his hand eased Yash's anger and the last of his annoyance disappeared when she turned her doe brown eyes upwards and locked her gaze onto his. She let out the breath she was holding and smiling softly she said, "Our baby will be okay now."

"Of course he'll be," Yash said gruffly, a lump forming in his throat as he looked down at her. Lying there she looked so vulnerable and he wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and hold her tight. He refrained himself and gave her a tender smile instead while gently brushing back her bangs.

"And how do you know the baby will be a 'he'?" she teased playfully as she adjusted her pants and sat up. She was relieved that InuYasha was no longer upset with her.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "I don't. Just makes it easy calling the baby a 'he'. As long as _he's_ healthy, that's all that matters."

Kagome smiled and nodded in agreement.

Kazuki quietly cleaned up during this by-play and was about to slip out the door unnoticed when Kagome thanked him. "You're welcome."

Before the door closed behind him, he caught a glimpse of Yash engulfing Kagome in his arms. He looked thoughtfully at the couple before a small smile played on his lips. _Anything for you, darling. _

His eyes suddenly lit up as a solution to the problem came to him. He knew what he had to do.

He was going to ask for Yash's blood.

* * *

A/N: I had this chapter sitting on my computer for _months_, and every time I would go in, I would re-write it. Again and again. I just wasn't happy with the dialogue between Kagome and Kazuki and there were several ways I could have taken this thing. I'm still not completely satisfied with this chapter, but I figure if I don't post this now, it'll never be posted. So... here it is. The next chapter is on my comp. Hopefully, I can get that one out soon. As always, thank you for reading and reviews are always appreciated! ^_^


	9. What the Miko Doesn't Know

**Chapter 8: What the Miko Doesn't Know**

He'd been monitoring her pregnancy in secrecy for the past four months and Kagome didn't even know it. But ever since the incident with the shot, Yash had been sending him progress reports on a weekly basis. Kazuki was surprised when the other hanyou had first approached him. Hell, he was more than surprised; he was downright stupefied, but when he realized how uncomfortable and hesitant his boss was, he bit back his initial response which was outright laughter. Yash Takahashi was as stubborn as they came, and Kazuki quickly understood how difficult it must have been for him to ask for a favour. He had to hand it to the other hanyou though, his love and concern for his family overshadowed any jealousy and animosity he felt towards his wife's lab partner. That simple fact alone did more to solidify Kazuki's respect for Yash than any other act could ever have. Not that there was much animosity between the two anymore. After all, there wasn't much to fight about, but it was the principal of the thing and they both were too stubborn and proud to do any less. Perhaps, that was the problem, Kazuki mused, they were _too_ much alike. He shook his head. _Damn, perish that thought_.

One thing was for certain though; he was definitely looking forward to playing 'Uncle Kazuki' to Kagome's firstborn. He was sure that Yash was just _thrilled_ about that one. Kazuki smiled devilishly. Yup, it was definitely interesting working at The Takahashi Group. He could monitor Kagome's health and dig into her personal medical files — bowel movements and all — but he couldn't even _touch_ the girl. Ha! He chuckled to himself. _Wait until Kagome finds out_.

-x-x-x-x-

Yash Takahashi did not like the unknown or unpredictable. He believed in covering all his bases and that's what made him a shrewd businessman. He applied this philosophy to his personal life as well. And when it came to his family — who meant the world to him — he would do anything to protect them at all cost. If that meant swallowing his pride and asking Kazuki to monitor his wife's pregnancy, so be it. Not that it meant an end to the barbs they often traded, but at least for Kagome's sake, they could work together for a common cause. He was proud of the advancements his company had made to ensure the safety of hanyou babies, but he wasn't taking any chances when it came to his own family's well-being, so he went to the very best. And that meant Kazuki Matsumoto.

-x-x-x-x-

Yash threw a folder down onto the table.

"What's that?"

"Kagome's ultrasound. I want you to look at it."

_What happened to please?_ An annoyed look flashed across Kazuki's face, but he didn't say a word as he flipped open the folder and perused the file. Yash stared intently as Kazuki ran his finger down the paperwork, relief coursing through him as the other hanyou nodded at the stats he was looking at. But then a frown appeared on his face when the scientist furrowed his brows in thought. His frown deepened as Kazuki picked up the ultrasound, held it to the light and squinted at a particular area.

"What?" Yash demanded.

Kazuki put the ultrasound down and pointed to the corner where a shadowy tinge surrounded the fetus. "Did the technician mention anything about that?"

"She said it was just a trick of the light. Nothing to worry about."

"What did Kagome say?"

"She agreed." Yash continued to stare at the ultrasound wondering exactly where the hell this conversation was heading. "But I could tell that she's hiding something. She's been pretty emotional these last few days, so I didn't push it."

Kazuki didn't even try to suppress his amused grin. "Like PMS gone wild?"

A slight grin twisted Yash's lips as he agreed. "Yeah, something like that."

"Hate to tell you this, but it'll get worse." Kazuki wanted to laugh out loud at the horrified look on Yash's face. He almost felt sympathetic for the other hanyou. _Almost_.

"Yeah, well, don't worry about it." He tapped his claw on the ultrasound to get them back to the real subject at hand. "So what is it?"

Kazuki cleared his throat. "It's not my place to say…"

"What? Will you just tell me!" Yash sounded harsher than he meant to, but this was his wife and child they were talking about, and if Kazuki thought something was wrong, he damn well better tell him about it.

Kazuki gave an internal sigh. God knows why Kagome was being so stubborn about this. She still hadn't told Yash about the complications in her pregnancy. He could understand her not wanting to worry her husband. After all, that particular hanyou did have quite the infamous temper. But the lack of communication between the two just didn't make any sense whatsoever. Each one was always trying to protect the other. They've done it in the past and look where that got them. All it did was cause nothing but misunderstandings and heartache. Didn't those two ever learn? Kagome was his best friend, but Yash was the baby's father, and Kazuki felt that he had a right to know. If their positions were reversed he would want to know the truth. Besides Yash was glaring at him like he wanted to rip his head off if he didn't get some answers. He made the split-second decision and took matters into his own hands.

"It's a barrier."

"A what?"

"A barrier that Kagome erected around the fetus. The baby is essentially a foreign object in Kagome's body. Since she's a miko her natural instinct is to purify that foreign object, especially since it's doused in youki. But her maternal instinct is just as strong as her miko one, if not stronger, so she erected a barrier to protect her baby."

Yash swallowed hard as he stared at the evidence. He had no idea what Kagome was going through. Being a miko brought its own set of problems and she had tried to tell him that. It finally made sense why she was so worried about even conceiving. Now knowing the truth, he felt badly for brushing the subject off so lightly when she had first brought it up.

But Kazuki wasn't done. "Kagome is using all of her energy to protect her child. It's fine now because the fetus is small, but once the baby starts to grow and its youki becomes stronger, Kagome's miko instinct to expel it grows stronger as well. To combat the effect, she will have to keep erecting a stronger barrier each time the baby develops. She's essentially fighting her own body and if it continues without any intervention, then eventually her energy will be drained to the point of exhaustion."

Yash paled at the news and his voice cracked when he asked, "So what do we do?"

"I've been watching her and from what I can tell, she seems to perk up every time you're near her. Do you notice that?"

At Yash's curt nod, Kazuki said, "Yeah, well, it's not your charming personality." He couldn't help the gibe and grinned at the other hanyou's growl, but he quickly placated his boss with his next words. "I've been working on something that will help, but I need something from you. I need your blood."

-x-x-x-x-

"Where did you get this?" Kagome asked outraged, as she gestured at the folder on Kazuki's desk.

Damn. He forgot to put her latest pregnancy report away and now his friend was standing there, arms folded, indignantly waiting for his response.

"There's no way you should have access to these files. How did you get them?" Kagome demanded.

"Ah… I… ah…" Kazuki was at a loss for words. Why the hell was _he_ always in the middle of their lover's quarrel?

Kagome placed her fists on her hips and tilted her chin in such a way it made Kazuki cringe in anticipation of her anger. "These are restricted files. The Takahashi Group prides itself on its security measures. There's no way you… could have accessed… these —" Her eyes widened as it finally dawned on her. "InuYasha. InuYasha gave you access." Only her husband could have done this. The doctors would have been the only other ones privy to this information and they wouldn't dare think of releasing confidential files. _So that leaves my husband_, Kagome deducted mentally. _But why_?

"Well, it could have been the doctors —"

At Kagome's sharp look, Kazuki shrugged. "Okay, okay. Game over. So it was Yash —"

"I knew it!"

"Look, Kags — "

"How could he?" she practically shouted.

"But, Kags, he's only trying to help —"

"He doesn't even like you!"

"Yeah, but he's only… Hey! Wait a minute —!"

The door suddenly flew open and Sakura burst through. "What's wrong? I heard shouting." She looked from the irritated expression on Kazuki's face to Kagome's flushed angry one and suddenly realized she had barged in on a heated discussion between her friends. "Ah… sorry for interrupting."

"No, it's all right," Kagome said, rubbing her temple. She could feel a major headache coming on and it was the fault of the two hanyou in her life. "We were just having a little chat."

"Oh… okay." After another quick glance at her supervisors, Sakura quickly backed out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Kagome closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking deep breaths to regain her composure. "How long have you been monitoring my vitals?"

"About two days after you found out you were pregnant."

"Oh Kami..." Kagome flushed with the realization that Kazuki was privy to all the stats on her weekly reports, including the rather embarrassing ones. She was close to Kaz, but not _that _close.

Kazuki gave an exasperated sigh. "Look, Kags, I said that I would do everything I could to help you and in order for me to do that I need to know the specifics. _All _of the specifics, so don't go getting all embarrassed about it, okay? Hell, it's only bodily functions. We all do it, so quit being so weird about it."

_He was right_, Kagome thought, _it shouldn't bother me like this._ _I guess I can chalk this up to my hormones_. She sank into a chair, her annoyance and discomfort deflating like a balloon. "I'm sorry, Kaz. I don't know what's wrong with me lately. I guess I'm just tired and cranky. I really do appreciate everything you're doing for me." Her hands rested lightly on her protruding stomach. "For us."

"Good. I'm glad you realize it, and thank God you finally know. You can blame that damn husband of yours for wanting to keep this from you. Take it out on him, not me." He paused and then said in a sulking tone, "And for the record I am a very likeable guy, thank you very much."

Kagome looked at him in surprise. He apparently hadn't forgotten her earlier comment. Kaz was _pouting_ and it made her bite down on her lip to keep from giggling. "I'm sorry about that, too. I really didn't mean it. Cheer up. InuYasha does like you. He just won't admit it."

"Oh." A smirk appeared on Kazuki's face. "Well, that's a relief. Didn't want to do any favours for an ass that didn't even like me."

"Kaz…" Kagome narrowed her eyes as Kazuki gave into the laughter.

Twenty minutes later, Kagome faced another hanyou and it was no laughing matter.

-x-x-x-x-

Slapping the files on Yash's desk, Kagome demand, "What's the meaning of this?"

"Shit."

Yash watched as his wife tapped her foot impatiently and sighed. Raking his hand through his hair, he gestured for her to come closer. A weary look came over her and he grinned at her suspicious nature. "Come here, Kagome."

"This isn't funny." Kagome narrowed her eyes. _If he thinks I'm just going to roll over on this one, he's got another thing coming_. She stood where she was and glared at him, trying to hold onto her anger, but as she watched InuYasha lean back and beckon her with his outstretched hand, she couldn't help but edge a little closer. His warmth was like a beacon and before she knew it she was standing between his legs.

"I never said it was," he murmured while he brought his hands up and lovingly rubbed her stomach. He emitted a low rumbling sound from deep within his throat that at once comforted her and soothed her irritation, and with his touch fled all of Kagome's heated emotions. Giving into the pleasure of his stroking, she ran her hands lightly through his hair. He leaned in and gave her stomach a light kiss, and she made no protest as he gently eased her onto his lap.

"Feel better now?"

Still feeling a bit mulish, Kagome nodded.

InuYasha sighed. If he thought Kagome was emotional before, she was ten times worse with pregnancy and half the time he didn't know how to act around her. The one time he had teased her out of her bad mood and when he tried that same tactic again a few days later, she had burst into tears. Another time he had tried to talk to her and she had stomped away. He just didn't know how she would react and it upset him that he couldn't read her as well as she read him. So, he did the one thing that had the most positive effect — it never failed. He kissed her.

Tilting his head up, he brushed his warm lips against hers and was rewarded when he felt her soften up against him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders. He continued to kiss her, whispering sweet words in between his kisses. His hand traced slow, soothing circles on her stomach until he felt her relax completely against him. His expressive amber eyes gazed lovingly at her and the endearing way he smiled made her heart ache with love for him.

"How do you do it?" she asked softly. "Make me love you so much even when I'm so damn mad at you."

His voice grew husky as he said, "Because I love _you_ so damn much and this baby, too". With his arm curled around her waist, the warmth of his body was like a balm to her soul as were his words. "His eyes grew serious as he explained, "I went to Kazuki because he can be objective about this." He shushed her when she began to protest and nipped her lips lightly to stop the imminent pout he knew would appear. "You know that's true. He's well trained to look for any birth anomalies in hanyou. With the history of complications with hanyou/human births, I wanted to make sure everything was okay."

She rested her forehead against his. "Oh, InuYasha, you know we found a solution for that."

"I know, but I wasn't taking any chances. Not with our baby." He patted her stomach lovingly.

"I just wished you would have told me."

"With the way you've been acting, I was afraid you'd fly off the handle."

Kagome sighed. "I guess I did anyways."

"Speaking of keeping secrets. Why didn't you tell me about the barrier?" he asked quietly.

Kagome's eyes widened. "Oh." She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. "I-I didn't want to worry you."

Yash chuckled softly and hugged her to him. "We make quite the pair, don't we?"

Snuggling closer to him, she buried her nose into the crock of his neck, taking pleasure in his warm, masculine scent." We do. I'm glad you finally know about that. I guess Kazuki told you?"

At his nod, she said, "You didn't have to ask Kaz to monitor the pregnancy. I've been going through all my charts with a fine tooth comb and everything is fine."

"I know how thorough you are. I just don't think it hurts to have a second opinion, even if it is that bastard."

That made Kagome sit up straight. "InuYasha! Stop calling Kaz that! He's not a bastard."

"Well, not in the literal sense, but he's still a jerk —"

InuYasha was about to say more, but the frown he received made him swallow his unflattering words. He didn't _really_ hate Kazuki. In fact, he actually liked the other hanyou, but he just couldn`t help it. It was really more habit than anything else and the insulting words just took a life of their own sometimes.

Kagome's eyes widened. "And Kaz defended you, too."

Yash snorted incredulously. "What? He defended me?"

"Yes, he did, whether you believe it or not. And he was actually hurt when I said that you didn't even like him."

"I never said I didn't like him."

Kagome nodded knowingly. "I know. It just slipped out that way. I actually corrected that notion and said that you did, in fact, like him." She grinned cheekily at him.

"Hey! Don't go around telling people that. I have a reputation to uphold."

Kagome giggled. "Oh yeah? Mr. big, strong hanyou."

"Damn straight," Yash growled as his arms encircled her body and drew her closer. Closing his eyes, he reveled in the feel of his wife and child in his arms.

Kagome enjoyed the closeness for a few minutes before she lowered her head and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She wanted to stay right where she was, but the thought of her lab and the pile of results she had to compile made her sigh. "I better get back to work."

Yash tightened his hold on her. "I think you should take the rest of the afternoon off."

"And do what?"

"Stay with me."

Kagome leaned against her husband, reluctant to leave. "There's so much to do," she murmured. Fiddling with his hair, she sighed. "No, I better get back downstairs."

"Don't you have a meeting?"

"I do?"

Glancing at his watch, Yash said innocently — too innocently, "Yes, in about five minutes. You need to meet the boss." His lips curled into a sensuous smile that never ceased to cause flutters in her stomach.

Kagome licked her lips and whispered, "Really? The boss, huh?"

"It's a human-youkai resource initiative: get to know your boss better."

Not tearing her gaze away from his mouth, she said "I've never heard of that one. I must have missed the memo on that."

He grinned seductively and a feral gleam entered his eyes. "It's a new policy I'm implementing. So… shall we get started?"

"Getting to know the boss better?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll play." Sitting up straighter, she turned in his lap and held out her hand. "Mr. Takahashi, I'm Dr. Kagome Takahashi. I work in the Hanyou Science division."

He was pleased that she was willing to play his game, but didn't she know the proper way to greet _her_ boss? He'll have to rectify that. Starting now. Ignoring her outstretched hand, he grasped the back of her head and pulled her towards him. "Nice to meet you, Kagome," he whispered huskily before his lips descended on hers.

-x-x-x-x-

In the quiet solitary of the upper offices, with no one to interrupt them, Kagome Takahashi spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know her boss better — in more ways than one.

* * *

A/N: More fluff in this chapter because I'm trying to put as much in as possible before the angst comes. ^_^ For those who have stuck with the story, thank you! I'm trying to update more regularly, so expect another chapter soon. Thanks, as always, for reading!


	10. The Foundation in Which We Stand

**Chapter 9: The Foundation in Which We Stand**

"Oh, Mama, look at this one! It's so cute!" Kagome held out an adorable pink dress hemmed with white lace perfect for a newborn infant.

Nori Higurashi smiled indulgently at her daughter. "It's lovely, dear, but what if you have a boy? Shouldn't you find out first before you start buying dresses? Perhaps you should wait."

Kagome looked wistfully at the dress before she reluctantly hung it back up on the rack. "You're right, Mama, but it's just so cute! Oh, all right, I'll wait." Bypassing the rack of little dresses, she turned her attention elsewhere and soon brightened up as she grabbed another outfit. This time it was a tiny pair of denim overalls with a matching green striped shirt. It was simply adorable! She would definitely buy that one. Even if it was meant for a boy, a little girl could get away with wearing something like that Kagome thought as she put the outfit in her cart.

Kagome hummed under her breath as she casually browsed the racks of clothes. She was so glad that her mama had asked her out for lunch today. Although she spoke to her mother almost every day, she hadn't seen her since the Cherry Blossom festival over a month ago. So when Nori called that morning to make a lunch date, Kagome jumped at the chance. It was perfect timing as her calendar was free that afternoon and there was nothing pressing at the lab. Nori had picked Kagome up a little before Noon and twenty minutes later they were sitting down at an outdoor cafe enjoying their bento boxes.

The lunch hour flew by quickly as the two women, laughing and chatting, caught up with their daily lives. Kagome was reluctant to end her time with her mother and — since it was such a beautiful day out — she suggested they go for a stroll to digest their meal. Nori readily agreed. Her daughter was always so busy that she would take any opportunity to spend more time with her. She did, however, make Kagome promise that she wouldn't exert herself. She had noticed gray circles under her daughter's eyes and had remarked upon them. Kagome simply laughed it off as a normal part of pregnancy. Nori, herself, had a difficult pregnancy with Sota, so she accepted her daughter's explanation without further worry.

With arms linked, they strolled leisurely down the street, stopping occasionally to peer in the shop windows that piqued their interests. Kagome was delighted when they came upon the corner store selling baby supplies. The bright colourful window display would draw any expectant mothers to the store, but the huge red sign advertising their 50% discount sale was simply too good a deal to pass up.

Kagome took a quick survey of the outfits she intended to purchase. A tiny long-sleeve t-shirt with a blasting rocket ship, a soft blue jumper with a fuzzy baby whale decorating its front, and a pair of soft cotton onesies. All very suitable outfits for a newborn baby boy or girl. Picking up the jumper, she couldn't help but smile as she lightly fingered the soft material, imagining how her baby would look in it. Would her son or daughter have amber eyes and silver hair like InuYasha? And would they inherit his adorable ears? _Kami, I hope so. _Kagome bit her lip to keep from squealing out loud. She could just imagine a smaller version of her husband and she couldn't wait to hold their baby in her arms. She patted her belly affectionately. _Soon, sweetheart, soon_.

The baby must have heard her judging from the strong kick she received a moment later. Kagome's huge smile waned as she felt a shock of energy burst in her abdomen. Gasping lightly, she grabbed the nearest hanger for support and stood breathing heavily through her nose until the discomfort subsided.

Nori rushed over to her daughter's side, concern written all over her face. "Kagome, are you all right?"

Kagome smiled weakly. "Yes, Mama, I'm fine. The baby just kicked and it took me by surprise, that's all. He's a strong one." She _hated_ lying to her mother, but she didn't want to worry her.

Nori placed a hand on Kagome's back and one on her arm to support her. "Do you want to sit down? There's a bench right over there." She tried to steer her daughter to the side of the store where seats were set up for tired mothers to rest.

"No, I'll be fine. Just give me a minute." Kagome took a succession of deep breaths and tried to relax. The small surges of energy had been increasing in frequency and severity for the last couple of days, and although the last doctor's appointment had shown that the baby was developing nicely in its third trimester, there was something seriously wrong. Kagome could no longer deny it. As the days went by, she was feeling more and more fatigued. At first, she truly did believe it was a normal part of her pregnancy. Reading every baby book she could get her hands on told her that. After all, she was housing a new life inside of her. What mother-to-be doesn't get tired? But exhaustion combined with these energy shocks was definitely a cause for alarm.

"I think I better get back to work now, Mama."

"Yes, of course, dear. Here, let me get these." Nori gathered the clothes in the cart and took them to the cashier.

Kagome's footsteps were unsteady as she tried to follow her mother. She stopped and closed her eyes trying to get her bearings. Taking another deep breath, she exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes a moment later, she felt much better. She managed to reach the car without her mother's support, but as soon as she got into the four door sedan, she slumped against the seat.

By the time they pulled up to the Takahashi building twenty minutes later, Kagome's breathing and colour was back to normal. It was as if the incident at the store hadn't even occurred. If it wasn't for her mama's constant fussing, Kagome would have thought she had imagined the whole thing.

Nori stopped the car and turned to her daughter. "Are you sure you're all right, Kagome? I can walk you in or maybe I should call InuYasha down to get you—"

"No, Mama, you don't need to do that. I told you I'm feeling much better. I'll be fine." She grabbed her mother's hand. "Please don't worry."

"You're my daughter. Of course, I worry," Nori chastised lightly while looking at her daughter with a critical eye. Kagome did look much better than she did at the shop. Colour had come back to her face as her cheeks were no longer a frightening shade of gray, and while she wasn't exactly bright-eyed and alert, the short rest in the car had definitely helped.

"Now I want you to promise me that you will take it easy. Remember not to work too hard and please try to get plenty of rest."

Kagome smiled brightly at her mama. "I will. If I get tired later, I can always visit the doctors' offices and borrow one of their beds for a nap." It wasn't the first time Kagome was grateful for the on-site obstetric offices.

Nori didn't look convinced, but she let the matter drop. She knew her workaholic daughter well enough to know that she would never willing lie down if there was work to be done. But she also knew Kagome was sensible enough not to jeopardize the health of her child. And with InuYasha in the same building, she could trust that her hanyou son-in-law was strict enough for the both of them.

"Thank you for asking me out for lunch. It was such a nice surprise."

Reaching over to give her daughter a hug, Nori said, "I had a lovely time, too, Kagome. I'm so glad that you were able to come out. I don't see enough of you." Drawing back, she clasped Kagome's hand warmly in hers. "In fact, why don't you and InuYasha come over for supper on Sunday? Sota is out of town with Aimi and her family again, so it will just be the three of us. I would love to spend some quality time with the both of you before the baby comes." She patted Kagome's hand. "Now, no excuses. When was the last time you both had a home-cooked meal? I'll even make your favourite takenoko gohan dish. I just bought some lovely fresh bamboo at the market."

"With chicken and shiitake mushrooms?"

"Of course."

Kagome beamed. "Okay, Mama, you convinced me. We'll come by for dinner on Sunday. I'll tell InuYasha."

-x-x-x-x

Kagome used dinner on Sunday as an excuse to see InuYasha as soon as she went into the building. Since she was so upbeat, Yash didn't suspect anything was wrong and Kagome refrained from mentioning the episode at the store. Cheerfully kissing him and telling him to have a great afternoon, she headed back down to her lab without any indication that something was amiss. She felt a million times better since seeing her husband. She always did.

-x-x-x-x-

"No, no, no. I need something less conspicuous." He waved his hand absentmindedly. "Something like a bracelet that can be easily hidden in the folds of the sleeve."

Kazuki raised a cool eyebrow. "A bracelet."

"Yes, a bracelet should be suffice, Kaz, my boy." The General clapped his nephew on the shoulder, a smile appearing on his face now that his concern was resolved. "Oh, by the way, would the transformation work on a human?"

-x-x-x-x-

Kazuki shook his head in frustration as he changed direction after speaking with his uncle. It had been one month since the project for the General was reinstated by Sesshomaru and his uncle was in good spirits about it. His own mood, meanwhile, took a down turn. He had presented his uncle with a prototype ring infused with the identity charm, but that wasn't good enough. Fuck, if his uncle wanted a bracelet to begin with, why the hell didn't he tell him that in the first place? He spent the last month wasting his time working on a goddamn ring. When he finally thought he could wash his hands free of the project he was pulled right back in, and now he'd have to test the charm on a human. What the fuck? He'd have to ask Kagome to be his test subject. He sighed. It looked like he'll be spending another two weeks in the bunker from hell.

Heading across the manicured lawns of the Takahashi Group, he strode up the paved pathway until he stood in front of a brown stone building. Compared to all the other buildings on the premises this one was inconspicuous, tucked away on the far corner of the property. Pressing his hand against the rectangular glass panel situated beside the metal door, he waited impatiently as the detector verified his youki. This was one of the first buildings on the compound to have the newly integrated security system installed.

He pushed his way through the door as soon as the indicator light turned green, allowing his access. He walked along a narrow corridor allowing the many pot lights in the ceiling to lead his way. He turned left and made his way down the elevator, stopping two stories below. Stepping out in to another corridor that split in to two different directions, he turned right and purposely strode past a series of locked doors before pressing his hand against the glass screen of the door at the end of the hall. Slipping his way into the room once his youki was verified, he slumbered over to the table and slouched into a chair. Tossing the ring on to the table, he muttered under his breath, cursing his uncle for even making him do this project.

It was quiet in the laboratory as it usually was. Security was tight here and no one used the concrete bunker unless their project was highly confidential as this one was. Dr. Juro Watanabe had long since finished his part of the charm and had gone back to his own projects, leaving Kazuki to work in peace. His gaze wandered over the lab, his eyes raking in the various measuring and analytical apparatuses adorning the long black tables; the assortment of glassware neatly stacked on the shelves; the scientific instruments and pristine computer equipment, all of them sitting silent and still. The refrigeration units that were large enough to house an array of samples only had one lonely tube in its glass case. He picked up the ring and fiddled with it. To someone like Kazuki, who thrived on challenges, combining the transformation and scent charms was easy work, too easy. The infusion of both provided no difficulties, no challenge. Now if he was asked to do something more complicated like taking the identity charm and …

Kazuki's eyes widened as an idea suddenly formulated in his brain. His eyes skipped to the tube of blood and then back again to the ring. _Shit. He had a hell of an idea_. Part of his brain screamed that it was a bad idea; a _very_, _very_ bad idea. But the other part, the cold, calculated scientific part, whispered that it could be done. But, shit, what he was thinking was not only reckless and fool-hardy, but downright dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. And he called Kagome reckless. This was a thousand times worse.

_No, I can't do this. What the hell am I thinking_? He turned away, ashamed for where his line of thought was leading him. Yet at the same time he felt… exhilarated; it was an adrenaline rush that he couldn't deny. The thirst to satisfy his scientific curiosity was so powerful that before he realized what he was doing, he had both the ring and the blood sample clutched in his hands. He could envision his idea working and now that his uncle had requested the change, it gave him a reason to be in the bunker longer. It was reckless; dangerous… he was definitely courting disaster, yet the need to prove his theory proved almost overwhelming. His heart beat with anticipation as his brain frantically schemed. _It would work_. His decision was already made, even if he internally berated himself.

_But no one would ever know_, his inner voice whispered.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome was taking an extended break to please her husband. She swore he must be watching her on the security cameras because he always seemed to know when she _didn't_ take a break. Not wanting to endure another one of his lectures, she was now sitting in the cafeteria stuffing her face with seafood and vegetable tempura.

She had felt so invigorated after her visit to Yash's office that she ended up working non-stop for the past three hours. But as soon as she sat down, the fatigue slowly came back. It started with the soreness in her feet and spread to her lower back. She was getting tired again. And hungry. Debating on whether to nap or eat, she decided on the latter. With her stomach growling, she made her way to the cafeteria. Since it was late afternoon, the eatery was almost empty with only two other tables occupied; one with a bat youkai diligently studying a pile of notes while another held a wolf youkai and human chatting amicably over coffee. None of them had paid Kagome any attention as she made her way to order her food.

_This is so good_, Kagome mused as she crunched on a vegetable. She could just imagine what InuYasha would say if he knew what she was eating. _Kagome, you shouldn't be eating deep fried, salty crap like that! _

_But, it's so delicious! And it's only salty if you use the dipping sauce. Besides, the baby likes it_. She patted her belly and defiantly dipped a fried yam into the tempura sauce and popped it into her mouth. Since her pregnancy she rarely ate tempura — due to a certain hanyou — and she relished every bite. As she slowly chewed she glared around the room, silently daring InuYasha to appear now.

The hanyou didn't make an appearance, but another inu-youkai did. Kagome looked up in surprise as General Matsumoto suddenly appeared and stood in front of her. Gesturing towards her empty plate, he apologized for interrupting her and asked for a minute of her time. Eyeing the few occupied tables, he asked if she would take a walk with him. Nodding her acquiescence, she followed him out into a glass garden atrium at the center of the complex.

Now sitting on a bench amid flora that bloomed all year long, she plastered a smile on her face and waited patiently to see what Kaz's uncle wanted from her. She had exchanged pleasantries with the inu-youkai in the past, but their conversations were always light exchanges, so the seriousness of his expression now disconcerted her.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Dr. Takahashi," he began. "You must be wondering why I asked you here." At Kagome's polite nod, he continued, "I would like to know how long it would take to change a charm from one object to another."

_Why was he asking her this?_ This was something Kazuki could answer and she told him so.

"I don't believe my nephew is being truthful with me, so I am asking you."

"Oh." Kagome didn't know what to say to that. What exactly did Kaz tell him? She desperately wished she knew then she could provide an answer that wouldn't contradict her friend. If he was lying to his uncle he obviously felt he had a good reason for it. Her mind working frenetically and she tried to stall for time by asking, "What did Kazuki tell you?"

His lips formed a straight, disapproving line as he reprimanded lightly. "You did not answer my question, Dr. Takahashi. How long?"

Feeling trapped, Kagome stammered, "Ah, it depends on what type of charm you're using and what you're transferring it from."

"The identity charm. You do realize the significance of the talisman?"

"I understand it is for military use and any information pertaining to the project is strictly confidential. Since I am not involved in the project, I am not authorized access to the information."

General Matsumoto eyed her shrewdly. "That was a very diplomatic answer. I see you worthy of the Takahashi name. I, however, know my nephew well, and know how close he is to you. It does not take a genius to presume that he has confided in you. That he has does not concern me. What I want to know now is how long it will take to transfer the identity charm from a ring to a bracelet."

This was news to Kagome. She hadn't even realized that Kazuki had a prototype ring produced. "Oh, umm… it should only take a couple of weeks…" As his eyes narrowed, she blurted out, "But then it's a new charm, so it will probably take longer. Ah… maybe three… or four weeks at the most…"

The general seemed to contemplate her words and nodded as if satisfied with her answer, but Kagome knew better. She straightened up and prepared to defend Kazuki's case for the delayed time. Why he would lie to his uncle she didn't know, but after this discussion was over, she was going to hunt her friend down and find out. Kagome psyched herself up for an argument with the inu-youkai, but she was proven wrong when the general thanked her for her time and started to get up. Kagome wasn't convinced that the general believed her, but she was thankful that he wasn't pushing for further proof. She knew she should just let him go, but the opportunity to speak her mind presented itself and she acted before she could think. She placed her hand lightly on his arm to detain him. "Excuse me, General Matsumoto."

He sat back down on the bench with a raised brow, mild curiosity etched on his face.

Kagome bit her lip. She had seen Kazuki suffer for the past seven months, agonizing over a project that he was forced to complete and she had meant to give the General a piece of her mind. But now that his undivided attention was on her, she hesitated. Trying to be diplomatic about the situation, Kagome said, "Kazuki has been working very hard on this project of yours, but he's had a very difficult time working with Dr. Watanabe. I do not mean to speak ill of a fellow scientist, but Dr. Watanabe is a hard individual to work with. Not only is he arrogant and unashamed about showing it, he's also aggressive and competitive. Your nephew has done nothing but conduct himself in a very professional manner, but he's had many sleepless nights about this project. He's not comfortable completing a project that he deems will be used as a weapon by your military and I think it is completely unfair and cruel of you to put your own nephew through this. I tell you this because I want you to understand how hard it has been on Kaz."

General Matsumoto nodded his understanding. "I admire your candor, Dr. Takahashi, but let me be honest with you. Although it may not be evident in the short term, it was vital that Kazuki headed this project. I needed both of them to work together to produce that charm and quite frankly, those traits you described, are they not depicted by most of the employees here? Are these not qualifications needed in your line of work? To be aggressive in your pursuit of answers? To be competitive to see who achieves those answers first? To be arrogant in your belief that you can change the world?"

Kagome was stunned. She had never thought of it that way before, but she still protested, "Even so, those traits do not excuse discrimination."

"Yes, you are right in that aspect, but I do not care about personality clashes. I care about results, and this project is very close to completion." He eyed her carefully. "It is imperative that it is finished by the end of the month."

"Is this project so important to you that you would sacrifice the health and well-being of your own nephew?"

Pain flashed in the General's eyes; it was miniscule but it was there. Kagome was surprised. For once the general displayed something besides a stoic countenance. He locked eyes with her, wanting to get his point across to the young scientist. "I love my nephew. Never doubt that, Dr. Takahashi. In many ways, he is the son I never had." He heaved a heavy sigh. "I am not a villain."

"General Matsumoto —"

"Please." He held out a hand to silence her. "I know your thoughts, Dr. Takahashi. Your face is an open book. I can see the disapproval written all over it, and I take no offence to it. You worry for my nephew. Loyalty like yours is commendable, but believe me when I say that this is for the best." He scrutinized her and debated his words carefully. Then with pursed his lips, he abruptly asked, "Do you know the difference between a belief and a conviction, Dr. Takahashi?"

Kagome was taken aback by the shift in conversation. It was so unexpected that she could only stammer, "I-I didn't realize there was a difference."

His expression grave, he explained. "Beliefs are based on hope. Convictions are based on what we feel is right. A belief is something that you can hold on to while a conviction will grip and hold on to you." He hesitated a long moment before he spoke again. "I have always lived my life by my convictions. So strong was my certainty in them; it was a foundation in which I based all else. But sometimes we find out that the foundation we stand on is not so solid after all. It took a wise woman to teach me that lesson. Remember that, Dr. Takahashi, it may serve you well in the future. It has certainly served me." His eyes bored into hers and Kagome shifted uncomfortably under his impenetrable stare. She suddenly felt vulnerable, exposed and she crossed her arms to ward off the unexpected shiver that coursed through her.

The General collected himself and gave her a rueful smile, one so reminiscent of his nephew's that Kagome had to mentally shake herself. "I have already taken too much of your time, Dr. Takahashi." He heaved himself up and dusted off his pants. His gaze skipped briefly over her stomach, his face an inscrutable mask. After a moment's contemplation, he added, "I would be remiss if I did not offer congratulations on the upcoming birth of your son." With a bow he departed.

-x-x-x-x-

Kagome was still mulling over her conversation with the General when she confronted Kazuki an hour later. With no one around, she cornered him and pushed him into a chair before she sat in the opposite seat.

"Okay, talk."

"Huh? Ah… so…I was thinking of forming a hockey team. Want to be the goalie?"

Kagome's brow furrowed with exasperation. "Kazuki…"

Laughter tugged at his lips and he couldn't repress his grin. "Oh, okay, how 'bout left wing or center then? Or maybe you want to try defense —"

"Kazuki Matsumoto! I'm serious here! Stop talking about hockey and tell me why you lied to your uncle. You told him it would take a month to switch that charm when you know very well it won't take longer than two weeks. And knowing you, you could probably do it in one. What are you up to?"

"Ah, so that's what got your panties knotted in a bunch. So, you keeping tabs on me now?"

"No…but when I have to start lying to cover for you, I think I have a right to know. You're hiding something from me, Kazuki Masumoto, and I want to know what it is."

"It's nothing." He blew off her concern with a nonchalant shrug. "I told Uncle it would take a month because I'm just trying to delay the project, that's all."

"You've already produced a prototype which you didn't even tell me about." She shot him a reproachful look. "And you're still working non-stop at the bunker. What have you been doing?"

Kazuki crossed his arms and casually leaned back. Instead of answering he chose to simply study his friend. He finally posed a question of his own, "You're looking a little peaked. How are you feeling, darling?"

Her eyes rolled skywards at his attempt of diverting her. Ignoring his cheeky grin, she countered with her own question. "Why are you changing the subject?" She mentally counted to ten when he simply raised his brow, indicating with his silence that he wasn't speaking until she answered him first. What is it with these damn stubborn hanyou? She tiredly rubbed the back of her neck and finally gave in as she groused, "I'm fine."

The faint circles under her eyes belied her words, but he didn't call her on her lie. Instead he asked, "When was the last time you saw Yash?"

Not bothering to look at her watch, she shrugged and gave a haphazard guess. "I don't know. Four or five hours ago. What's with all these questions?"

"Huh. It's getting worse, isn't it?"

She had no idea what he was talking about and the blank stare she gave him made him sigh. "What do you mean?"

_Did she really think he didn't know?_ _Pregnancy really did rob her of her senses._ Well, time to set her straight. "You've been getting a lot more tired lately. Now don't deny it, Kags. Anyone with eyes in their head can tell. Have you been getting any energy surges like a pulsating pain in your stomach?"

Her eyes widened. She had no idea how Kaz knew, but now that he did, it was a tremendous relief to her. "It started a couple of days ago and it wasn't anything more than a slight ache, but today when I was out with Mama, it was like a burst of energy and it took my breath away. It was gone as fast as it started. How did you know?"

He shrugged. "I was only speculating until you just confirmed it. You would have known it was coming too, if you didn't have pregnancy brain."

"What? I do not have pregnancy brain!" Kagome indignantly informed her friend.

Kaz's boisterous laughter filled the room. "Uh huh. Whatever you say, darling." While it was so much fun teasing his friend, he really was worried about her. His tone turned serious. "It's the barrier, isn't it? Can you feel it getting stronger?"

"Yes."

"Then I finished it just in time." His face lit up like he had a secret he couldn't wait to share. "I was going to wait and surprise you, but I didn't think it would happen this soon into your third trimester. Now to answer your question about what I've been doing in the lab… hold on, I have a surprise for you."

Kazuki went into his office and removed an object from the top of his desk drawer before he sauntered back to Kagome, grabbed her hand and put a gold chain in it.

_Her gold necklace_?

"I've been looking all over for this! Why do you have it?" It was a simple 18 karat gold fox chain necklace that she always wore, and she almost tore her room apart the other day when she couldn't find it. It used to belong to her grandmother on her father's side. Jii-Chan had presented it to her on her twelfth birthday, passing along the family heirloom. It was one of the rare times Jii-Chan actually gave her something that wasn't petrified or didn't repel some type of demon or disease. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but it meant the world to her. Her eyes narrowed. "My husband gave this to you, didn't he?" _She was going to kill InuYasha_.

He snickered. "How'd you guess?"

Kagome gave an unladylike snort, but she was so relieved to have the chain back in her possession that she wasn't really angry about the deception, just curious. "So are you going to tell me _why_ you have my necklace? Did you know I was going crazy looking for this?"

"I put a charm on it," he explained. "Put it on."

Anticipation bloomed in her chest as she did as he requested. The instant the necklace touched her skin, she felt a surge of energy grow within her stomach; a tingling sensation that radiated throughout her entire body. It was different from the one she felt earlier. Instead of knocking the breath out of her, this one invigorated her. A huge smile appeared on her face. "Kaz...," she breathed out.

"It's working, isn't it?" Kazuki was thrilled to see his charm's immediate effect on his friend. She positively radiated from within. Gone was the tiredness lining her shoulders and the weary look in her eyes. Her body's response to the charm brought a wide smile to his face. "This will help you get through to the end of your pregnancy."

"How…?"

"As much as you were trying to hide it, Kags, I knew you were getting more tired as your pregnancy progressed. As the baby grew your miko aura kept increasing to combat the growing youki inside of you. Ever notice that your energy level increased every time you were around Yash? Your baby was feeding off Yash's youki and was using it to try to put up its own protective barrier. Since your baby won't be able to make its own barrier without Yash constantly being around, I took a bit of Yash's youki and anchored it into this charm. Now the baby will have its own barrier without draining your energy."

"Oh, Kaz," Kagome whispered, touched. "Thank you." She was so emotional that she could barely speak as tears of gratitude welled up in her eyes. "Is this the secret project you've been working on all these months?"

"One of them," he replied. "I know you, Kags, and I knew that as soon as you got married, you would want to start a family right away. It worried me because of your miko status and I was trying to wrack my brains out trying to figure out how to help you. I initially thought your body would reject any type of conception, but then when you confirmed the barrier, I knew what I had to do. I was working on a type of barrier anyways, but the solution came when I saw how much you perked up around Yash. It was his youki that was the key. But," he cautioned, "we're not out of the woods just yet. We still have to worry about the birthing process…"

Kagome sat speechless as she listened to Kazuki explain his concerns about the birth and what he thought the right course of action was. She was too overwhelmed with emotion to do more than nod and murmur at the appropriate times. She never realized how much Kazuki was thinking about her baby. Obviously, it occupied his mind quite a bit as he described all the pros and cons of her birthing options. Unbeknownst to her, he had worked tirelessly to come up with solutions to keep her and her baby safe; from all the shots he made sure she received to the amazing charm he created to conserve her energy. All the endless nights he worked in the bunker from hell, just for her. She never realized. _Oh Kaz_…

Blinking rapidly to keep the tears at bay, she reached out and embraced him. "Kaz, thank you so much," she choked out.

"That's not all, darling."

She let go of him as he reached into his pocket and produced a small bracelet. "This is the other thing I was working on. It's for the baby."

Her eyes widened with delight at the object she held in her palm. The surprise left her momentarily speechless. She turned the bracelet over in her hand before lightly tracing it with her index finger. Awe-struck, she whispered, "Kaz, it's beautiful. How can I ever thank you?"

"You don't have to, Kags. You're my best friend and there's no one in this entire world that deserves more happiness than you do." The words resonated in her heart, and not for the first time, she realized the sacrifices Kaz had made on her behalf and how precarious her relationship with him could have been if he had been less honourable or less confident. His compassion and loving nature made him who he was and she couldn't have asked for a better friend.

Kagome held the trinket aloft studying the small charm. On closer inspection she realized it wasn't a bracelet at all, but an anklet. It was made of round black beads separated by curved magatama beads, strung together with fine silk thread. It was so reminiscent of InuYasha's necklace that Kagome started to tear up again. Light reflected off the onyx beads making them look black against her slender hand. She knew these same beads would appear dark purple if worn against red in bright sunlight. She had seen enough of InuYasha's beads against his red kimono to know how the black onyx would appear to change colours in different lighting.

"Now your lil' one will be well protected. That one's special — one of a kind. There's not another one like it in the whole world. I ordered it from Yoshikazu since Yash always raves about him," he said referring to the famed craftsman that Yash always went to for his personal effects. "I wanted to try to get it as close to Yash's necklace as possible, but I asked Yoshikazu to use white quartz instead of fangs, though. Thought it'd be more eco-youkai friendly."

Kagome didn't even try to suppress the tears of happiness and gratitude that spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "It's perfect, Kaz, absolutely perfect. Thank you, thank you _so_, _so_ much," she said as she tenderly, reverently, held the tiny hanyou transformation charm in her hand.

_I can't wait to show InuYasha_.

* * *

Yay! Another chapter down! I'm super happy that my brain has been cooperating with me lately and I've been able to update this story at a more decent pace. For everyone who left a review, thank you! You don't know how much it means to me to know what you think of my story. I really appreciate your support! As always, thanks so much for reading! ^_^


	11. Of Hopes and Dreams

**Chapter 10: Of Hopes and Dreams**

_Love doesn't make the world go 'round__  
Love makes the ride worthwhile._

_~ Franklin P. Jones ~_

"That was a delicious supper, Mama. Thank you," Kagome said as she pushed her bowl away. Although she was too full to eat another bite she eyed the last remaining piece of shiitake mushroom left in the clay pot. She was tempted to eat it, but before she could make up her mind, a pair of chopsticks came into view and niftily picked up her mushroom.

"Open up," Yash cajoled as he held the piece of mushroom in front of her. "Come on, you know you want it." His eyes twinkled with merriment as he teasingly held the morsel to her lips. A big smile crossed his face as his wife smiled her thanks and obediently opened up and gingerly took the mushroom off his chopstick.

Winking at her, he got up and started to help Nori clear the dishes away. When Kagome rose to help, he put his hand on her shoulder pushing her down gently and grunted for her to relax.

Nori stacked the dirty dishes in the sink and put the kettle on before she set out three tea cups, along with a plate of daifuku mochi. Kagome's mouth practically watered looking at the treats made of sweet rice and sweetened red bean paste. Did she think she was full? No way. Looking at the delectable plate of pink and green sweets, she definitely had enough room for dessert!

"Mmmm, these are so delicious, Mama." Kagome closed her eyes in dessert ecstasy as she chewed the scrumptious treat. "I could eat these all night."

Nori laughed and moved the plate closer to Kagome. "Have as much as you like, sweetheart, there's plenty." She refilled their cups with green tea while inquiring conversationally, "How is the nursery coming along?"

"Oh, wonderful, Mama. We finished decorating it this afternoon." Kagome's eyes lit up as she thought of the beautiful room they had prepared for their baby. It was painted in a soft shade of maya blue that brought forth an illusion of the sky, and went wonderfully well with the hand-crafted teak crib and matching dresser and change table. The rocking chair that Sota had lovingly restored sat in the corner near the window allowing for some tranquil afternoons after the baby was born. Animals in miniature arks decorated the walls and the whole room had a warm, cozy feeling to it. The only thing missing was the baby and they couldn't wait until the big day arrived.

Nori gave her daughter an affectionate smile. "I can't wait to see it."

"We'll have supper at our place next time," Yash spoke up and when identical sets of smiles were bestowed upon him, he was glad that he had made the offer.

"That's a great idea!" Kagome beamed at InuYasha before she turned to her mother. "How about next weekend? Sota will be back by then and we'll invite Aimi, too." Kagome planned, thinking the timing was perfect. Work was winding down for her and she wasn't scheduled to take on any more projects until after her maternity leave was over.

"That would lovely. I'm sure Sota and Aimi would love to see the new nursery too. Sota was so excited to work on that old rocking chair for you." Smiling, she picked up the tea pot and asked, "Would anyone like more tea?"

Yash shook his head and Kagome patted her stomach. "No, thank you, Mama. I'm so full. If I have any more tea, I think I'll burst." She smiled warmly at her mother. "Thank you again for supper, Mama. It was wonderful."

"It was delicious. Thank you," Yash added as he got up with a dirty plate.

"You're both very welcome. InuYasha, dear, just leave those. Sit and relax with Kagome. I'll clean up."

Kagome watched as Yash piled the dirty plates together and handed them to her mother. The kitchen light hanging low over the table reflected off Yash's platinum ring and the sight of it made Kagome internally sigh. She had been bugging her husband to upgrade his ring to the new hanyou transformation charm for months now. She thought he'd be the first in line to get the new charm, but the charm had been in production for four months now and he still had his old ring. She asked in an exasperated tone, "I don't want to keep pestering you..." She smiled guiltily as she grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers through his. "But your ring…"

Yash sighed. He knew what was coming. "You know how busy work has been. I told you I wanted Yoshikazu to do a bit of a re-design on my ring first."

"But it's been months now. Really, InuYasha, just get your ring re-done and then give it to me. I'll have the new charm infused in a day."

He threw her a mock salute which made Kagome giggle. "Yes, ma'am. I'll ask Mrs. Morito to clear my schedule sometime next week and get it done." Standing over her, he slowly, deliberately leaned down and whispered teasingly in her ear, "Enough about my ring, I don't want to talk about that right now." He was so close that she could feel the warm caress of his breath on her cheek.

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him exactly what he did want to talk about, but the words got stuck in her throat when he gave her a roguish grin. The implication was loud and clear in his half hooded eyes. And the way he stared at her lips, it was like he was ready to devour her. Kagome's cheeks flushed with pleasure at the thought. He was so close that if she just tilted her head a touch she would receive his kiss. But the quiet clinking of dishes broke her out of her seduced trance and brought her back to her senses. How in the world did she forget that her mama was in the same room, not six feet away?

Nori had discreetly turned her back on them, busying herself with washing the dishes. She couldn't help the perceptive grin on her face as she debated whether or not she should leave the room.

Her face a bright crimson, Kagome pushed out of her chair, making Yash take a step back. Flashing him an exasperated look for his teasing, she ignored the smirk on his handsome face and said in what she hoped was a steady voice, "Here, let me help you with those, Mama."

Nori waved off the help. "I'm fine, dear, you just relax. In fact, why don't you and InuYasha go outside while I finish cleaning up? It's such a lovely evening and you should see all my flowers. They all coming into bloom." Nori looked at them expectantly — a knowing smile on her face — and Yash quickly took the hint.

"That's a good idea. I think we'll do that." He flashed Nori a look of gratitude before he grabbed Kagome's hand and led her out into the warm spring evening.

Kagome had thought they were going to sit and enjoy the flowers, but when Yash bypassed the garden, she stopped in her tracks. "InuYasha, where are we going? Can't we just sit on the bench?" She gestured to the one they had passed. It was a perfectly good bench with a wonderful view of her mama's garden. The jasmine was coming into bloom and its sweet, yet subtle fragrance filled the night air. "I really don't feel like walking too far. I'm so full and my feet are all swollen," she half-heartedly protested as her husband firmly placed a hand on the small of her back and nudged her to keep walking. She felt justified in her refusal to traipse across the shrine. After all, she was pregnant, she had a good excuse. And really, all she wanted to do was sit down and do nothing. Well, maybe sit down and cuddle with her husband, but did she really have to walk first?

"You can sit and rest when we get to the Goshinboku. We can cuddle up there," Yash said lightly, clearly reading her mind. "Besides, I know for a fact that you're not retaining that much water and you're in great shape for being seven months pregnant."

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him making him chuckle. Hmph. She couldn't even get any sympathy since her husband went over her weekly medical reports so thoroughly.

Grudgingly giving in, she followed Yash as he held her hand and guided her across the cobblestone pathway. They walked past the old well house and Kagome's mood turned somber. Her step became hesitant as a wistful look crossed her face. In her mind's eye she saw the ofuda seals that trapped her Feudal InuYasha on the other side. It had been over a year since she moved back to Japan and she could hardly believe everything that had transpired since then. Being married to InuYasha, expecting their first child. It was a dream come true and she wouldn't change it for the world. Yet, no matter how much Yash assured her, she inevitably always felt a tinge of guilt whenever she thought of the sealed well.

Her inattention caused her to stumble, but warm strong arms caught her before she fell. She smiled up at InuYasha. She could always count on him to catch her.

Yash noticed where she directed her stare and with her growing melancholy mood, he could guess where her thoughts were turning. "We're almost there." He gave her a reassuring squeeze and pressed his lips warmly against her temple before he effortlessly picked her up. With one arm supporting her back and another under her knees, he carried her to the Goshinboku. Her arms automatically encircled his neck as she relaxed against him, allowing him to steer her physically and emotionally away from the unwanted memories.

He slipped off his ring, and with no hesitation in his step, he jumped into the Goshinboku as soon as they reached the ancient tree. Kagome yelped from the suddenness of it, but then relaxed in her husband's arms. She knew he would never let her fall.

Yash gingerly made his way along the branch and with Kagome seated comfortably across his lap, settled back against the tree trunk. Kagome snuggled into him and sighed blissfully as his arms wrapped securely around her.

There was something extremely soothing about having his wife, heavy with their child, in his arms sitting in their tree, and it made Yash relax in contentment. He didn't comprehend the tension in his shoulders until this moment, and suddenly realized that the last person he saw Kagome with in Goshinboku wasn't him. Well, that was all rectified now. _His _wife who was pregnant with _their_ child was on _his_ lap in _their_ tree.

Kagome leaned her head against InuYasha's shoulder. Comfortable and sated, she absently wound a strand of his hair around her finger. "You know, InuYasha, there's a saying…"

"Hmmm…." He replied nonchalantly. He was too busy nuzzling her and placing light nips and kisses along her neck.

"If you love someone, set them free. If they come back to you, it was meant to be. You came back to me, and I came back to you, so it was meant to be, don't you think?"

Yash internally sighed. She was obviously still thinking of the past again. But wasn't he just guilty of doing the same thing? It couldn't be helped he guessed since they were sitting in the tree that had brought them together in first place; the ancient tree that held so many sacred memories for them both.

She was looking at him expectantly waiting for his response. "Silly wench, what do you think?" he asked huskily before he caught her lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

Sighing happily, she smiled sweetly and said, "I think I love you more and more each day."

"You better." His gruff response made her giggle which earned her another dozen kisses to her face, her neck, her lips.

Enjoying his tender ministrations, she reached up and gently rubbed his ear causing a low rumbling sound to emit from the hanyou. She sighed contently and they enjoyed the blissful embrace for all of two minutes before Kagome asked, as if the thought suddenly occurred to her, "InuYasha, can you tell the sex of the baby by scent?"

Yash shook his head. "No, if I could, I would have done it a long time ago and not wait until the technician screwed up."

Kagome laughed lightly. "I know we wanted to be surprised, but she didn't mean to tell us like that," she said thinking of the poor ultrasound technician — new to the job — who accidentally blurted out the sex of their child. "She was so scared when she did. I think she thought you were going to fire her on the spot."

"Yeah, I was tempted…" he grumbled.

"InuYasha! You were not!" Kagome laughed. "But I did feel sorry for her. She was so apologetic about it, but she was new, she didn't know we requested not to be told. But in the end I'm glad we found out. Now I can stop trying to buy dresses for our baby boy." Kagome giggled as she thought of all the pink frilly dresses she was oh so tempted to buy.

His husky chuckle filled the night air infusing Kagome with soothing warmth and she snuggled closer to her husband; her soft, pliant body pressed against him.

"Why did you ask about the scent thing?"

"Oh, just something General Matsumoto said to me. He was so certain that our baby was a boy. I thought maybe he could tell or something."

Yash shrugged. "He probably said that out of habit. He's old school where tradition dictates the firstborn is always a boy to carry on the family linage."

The simple explanation made sense and Kagome felt an unexpected surge of relief. She should have asked InuYasha sooner instead of letting that statement linger and fester like a sore, giving her an uneasy feeling. "Well, I don't care as long as our baby is healthy. That's all that matters."

"Damn straight," He ran his hand lightly through her tresses before he cupped the back of her head and lightly brushed his lips across hers. The kiss was meant to reassure, but Kagome fisted her hands in his hair and pulled him closer for a deeper kiss. She greedily opened her mouth to taste him. "More," she moaned.

"Greedy lil' thing, aren't you?"

"For you? Kami, yes…mmm… now finish what you started back in the kitchen," she murmured, flicking her tongue against his, loving the taste of him.

Yash complied with his wife's wishes and kissed her deeply before he removed his mouth and proceeded to trail his lips down her neck to her collarbone and back up again, all the while murmuring endearments over and over again in a husky whisper. She was loved, oh so well loved, and in that moment all she felt was him. The whole world melted away and she couldn't imagine being anywhere else but here in his arms. That was all that mattered.

-x-x-x-x-

It was past ten o'clock by the time they got home. Yawning widely, Kagome neatly put her flat slingback shoes away and stretched out her arms. Dinner with mama was a wonderful way to wrap up an already wonderful day and she hated to see it end, but tomorrow was a work day. Covering her mouth she started to follow Yash into the bedroom when her eyes lit upon her purse. Since they had gone to mama's, she hadn't bothered to bring it along for dinner, but now seeing it, she remembered the precious object that lay inside. Getting her second wind with the thought of surprising her husband, she pulled out a small velvet pouch. Holding the charm lightly behind her back, she strolled excitedly into the bedroom and sat on the bed, watching as her husband took off his shirt. She admired his muscular physique for a moment before she got up and went to him. "I have a surprise for you."

Turning he captured her in his arms and leaned in for a kiss.

"No, InuYasha," she laughingly pulled away, "not that kind of surprise. Here." She dangled the little transformation charm in front of him. "Isn't it absolutely adorable?" she gushed. "Kaz commissioned it from Yoshikazu so that it looks just like your necklace! At first I thought it was a bracelet, but it's even better, it's an anklet. It's going to look so cute around his little foot."

Yash took the trinket and held it up. And sucked in a ragged breath.

_An anklet…_

"InuYasha, are you all right? It looked like you've seen a ghost."

A faint smile touched his lips and was gone a moment later. "Maybe I have," he murmured low under his breath.

"What?"

He spoke up loudly, "Nothing. It's nothing. The charm is… great, wonderful." He forced a cheerful smile despite the sinking feeling in his gut. He cleared his throat roughly and turned away before Kagome noticed his darkened expression. He grasped the charm tightly in his fist as an unbridled memory unraveled in his mind.

Even as a chill ran up his spine, his thoughts were interrupted as slender arms snaked around his torso. Kagome's warm, soft breath caressed his back, and the immediate warmth of her pushed away the coldness seeping into his heart.

"It has the new transformation charm infused into it, unlike someone I know," she teased as she laid her head against his shoulder blades, ignorant to the fact that Yash was trying to calm the frantic pounding of his heart that the little trinket had caused.

Trying to sound normal, he responded, "All right, you win. I get it. I'll get the new charm that my lovely, gorgeous wife invented infused into my ring." Kagome giggled and lightly kissed his back before letting go.

He forced out a breath of relief as Kagome continued chatting merrily as she stripped and sat back on the bed dressed in only her bra and panties. "It matches your necklace perfectly, and you know what they say about magatama beads. They bring good luck to those who wear them. With your beads and the baby's we'll have all the luck we'll ever need."

He softened his countenance before he turned around and faced his wife. Kagome was in a deliriously happy mood and he sure as hell wasn't going to spoil it with his suspicions. He approached the bed and dropped lightly in front of her. His muscular chest touched her knees and he found comfort from the contact. "Kagome, our baby doesn't need any luck. With you for his mother, he's the luckiest baby there ever will be. Don't you ever forget that." His voice grew tight with emotion. "I mean it, Kagome. No matter what happens, promise me, you'll remember," he choked out emphatically as tears sprung to his eyes.

Kagome misinterpreting the sheen in his eyes caressed his cheek lovingly. Her own eyes misted. "I promise," she said softly.

"I love you. I love you so, so much. The baby, too," Yash whispered as he laid his head gently on the swell of her stomach, the steady heartbeat of his son thumping loudly in his ear. Kagome rested her hands on his bowed head and gently laced her fingers through his silken hair. He welcomed her touch. It soothed his soul like nothing else, and only in her arms could he lose himself and forget.

-x-x-x-x-

Careful not to disturb his wife's restful slumber, Yash slowly eased out from under the covers and crossed to Kagome's side of the bed. Reaching down to grab the small charm she had lovingly placed on the night table, he made his way out of the room. It wasn't until he was standing in his study that his heavy breathing became audible. With the lights dimmed low, he hastily dropped the charm onto his desk as if it scorched him. He stared at the beads in disbelief. The knot of dread coiled in his chest became heavier as the realization sunk in.

He had seen this anklet before.

"_Why are you alone? Where's your husband?"_

"_He's dead."_

_Fuck no, it couldn't be. It's impossible_. His chest constricted as if a fist had a hold of his heart and was squeezing it tight, and his mind exploded as a flood of memories rose up and threatened to drown him. None of it made any sense, yet he couldn't deny the truth; couldn't deny what his senses told him. The evidence was right there before his eyes in a small strand of beads that should have only been filled with hopes and dreams. But for Yash it held something much more dark and ominous. All the roads of his mind led to the same conclusion. It was her. It was Kagome. But how and why? And what the fuck does he do now that he knows?

Flipping through his desk calendar, he tapped a single claw on Kagome's due date. Hunched over the desk with both hands flat on its cold hard surface, he bowed his head between his shoulders and tried frantically to make sense of it all. And he had to do it fast, because if his memory served him correctly he would be dead before his son was born.

* * *

A/N: If you haven't already guessed, this chapter is the flushed out version of the epilogue of "Paradox: The Power of Letting Go." So… now it's come full circle. ^_^

Thanks to everyone who left a review! I try to reply to each one, but if I somehow missed you or if you don't sign in and I can't leave you a message, know that I do appreciate you taking the time to leave your thoughts!

I'm going in for minor surgery tomorrow (nothing serious!) but I'd still need some recuperating time. So, I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to post the next chapter. I hate to stop writing now since the writing inspiration has struck, but if all goes well, hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter in a few weeks. Thanks, as always, for reading! ^_^


	12. My Brother's Keeper

A/N: First off, thank you so much for all the well wishes and reviews – I really appreciate it!

Now to the story… I know everyone wants a happy ending and while I can't tell you how it all plays out, I can promise that this will not end up being a depressing, dark fic. Although fair warning, it will get angstier before it gets better, and I really hope you stick around to the end… That said, this is the one chapter I've been itching to post from the very beginning (the last scene was one of the first written for this story). Okay, enough babbling, onto the chapter *goes off to hide now* ;) Thanks, as always, for reading! ^_^

**Chapter 11: My Brother's Keeper**

It should have been one of the happiest times of his life — awaiting the birth of his firstborn — but for Yash Takahashi the baby's due date loomed over him like an executioner's axe ready to fall.

He spent the first week in perfect denial. He shyed away from the truth, not wanting to even contemplate the events that would transpire. He was doing a good job of it too, but seeing the little charm dangling off Kagome's fingers as she showed it off to her family when they came for dinner on Sunday night made the hot, dull ache of reality crash down on him.

After the denial came the anger, the cold fury at the injustice of it all. Didn't Kagome and he go through enough hell to be together and when finally, _finally_ they were happy, this had to happen.

Running scenarios in his head, he could not for the life of him fathom how events would unfold the way they would. Normally, he would be bursting with his notorious cocky confidence. How could he — the strongest hanyou around — possibly die? It was inconceivable. He was well-liked and respected in the youkai community and he didn't have any enemies. Well, no enemies that he could think of. If he died tomorrow the company would continue to run a tight ship under Sesshomaru's watch. No, he could not foresee how his death would benefit anyone. And if his death wasn't for profit or for someone else's gain then for what?

And if it had happened in his past, did that mean it was destined to occur again no matter what he did? That he couldn't change his future because his past was already written? If that was the case, he would soon die. _Bloody fucking hell_. Even though he was resolutely determined to get to the bottom of it, he just didn't know what the hell he should do. Neither answers nor sudden epiphanies came to him and he was helpless in the face of an unknown enemy.

Hot on the heels of anger was the unbridled terror, the helplessness. He wasn't scared of dying. No, he was frightened of leaving Kagome pregnant and alone. The thought that she would cross the well again devastated him to no end. The burden of the knowledge lay heavily on his heart like a cold and unyielding stone. He could no longer deny that it was Kagome whom he had aided and his own son whom he had helped birthed. Racking his brain he re-played the birth scenario over and over again in his mind, and as the floodgates of his memories opened out came the sharp tang of remembrance. He remembered her; her every movement, her every look, her every gasp, her every breath. It was Kagome. Deep in the recesses of his mind, he always felt some sort of empathy towards that girl, some magnetic pull towards her. Now he knew why.

He couldn't possibly tell Kagome, and even if he did, what the hell would he say? _Hey, sweetheart, guess what's going to happen before the baby comes?_ _**Hell, Fuck no**_. Her enthusiasm for the upcoming birth increased as did her nervousness, and he didn't want to do or say anything to jeopardize her emotional state. Whenever he was around her, he pushed away his fears and concentrated on her well-being and happiness, and thus she was blissfully unaware of his inner turmoil.

But as the days passed it got harder and harder to keep up the cheery disposition. The baby's birth was like a time bomb waiting to go off and as every second ticked by, Yash became more and more desperate. He felt powerless to stop it.

He massaged his temple. This was a living nightmare.

At the end of his rope — with no resolution in sight — he did the only thing he could.

He went to see Sesshomaru.

-x-x-x-x-

In a fit of frustration, restlessly pacing in front of Sesshomaru's desk, Yash filled his brother in on his dilemma and the inner chaos that it was causing. He left nothing out.

The only indication the older youkai gave that he was listening to his younger brother was the slight quirk of his eyebrows. He simply listened and then dismissed the frustrated hanyou with a direct order to keep silent on the subject.

Sesshomaru sat and contemplated the situation long after his brother left. Yash's suspicions opened up his own cache of memories and he sat and re-played past events in his mind. He kept coming to the same conclusion that he did not want. He hoped he was mistaken, but he knew that he wasn't. He was Sesshomaru; he was never wrong.

He picked up the telephone.

"Rini, set up a video conference with General Haru Matsamoto and his brother Takumi Matsamoto."

He was owed some answers. And he wanted them _now_.

-x-x-x-x-

Two hours later, Sesshomaru ended his conversation with the Matsumoto brothers. Most of the time was spent in disagreement as the three youkai adamantly voiced their opinions.

Sesshomaru flicked off his computer screen and leaned back into his chair as he heavily weighed his options now that his suspicions were confirmed. He had pooled his memories with Haru and Takumi; bits and pieces coming together to show them the larger piece of the puzzle.

_A hanyou baby._

Sesshomaru picked up the photograph that graced his desk and stared at it, not seeing the reflected images of his own two children. No, in his eye's mind he saw another child; a hanyou one.

He closed his eyes and tried to deny what he knew had to be done. The thought burned in his chest like acid and left a dry, sour taste in his mouth.

Finally deciding not to delay the inevitable — and with no other recourse left to him — he reluctantly picked up the telephone. By-passing his secretary, he dialed the private number that was committed to his memory. He waited impatiently for the call to be picked up at the other end. When it was, he said without preamble, "Mother, I need to see you."

-x-x-x-x-

It was Friday evening and Yash and Kagome had just finished supper. They sat on the couch with Yash's arm slung casually around Kagome's shoulders as they enjoyed the warmth that radiated from the fireplace. Even though it was late spring, there was coolness in the air.

Kagome rested her head comfortably against her husband and in the silence that followed she covertly watched him out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't as oblivious to his moods as he had thought.

While he had always been fiercely protective of her, this past week he was even absurdly more so. His over-anxious concern for her and their baby's well-being — while sweet and endearing — was oddly intensive, even for the hanyou. Even now when he should have been relaxed in the safely and seclusion of their own home, his handsome face held a closed somber look. His eyes were guarded — anxious — and his mouth was marred with a worried frown. She could tell he was a million miles away by the way his ears twitched in irritable thought.

She reached up and gently stoked his ear between her fingers. "Hey…" she said softly.

Yash blinked, startled back to the present by her touch and soft voice. His furrowed brow smoothed and he focused his amber gaze on the woman by his side.

She smiled at him and reached for his hand, placing it on the swell of her stomach.

His eyes widened slightly before a huge grin appeared on his face as he felt the small kicks against his palm.

"He's really active tonight."

"He's kicking up a storm," Kagome agreed. "He must have really liked the donburi we had for supper." She smiled, thinking of the rice dish she had made with breaded pork cutlet, eggs and onion.

"I don't blame him. It was delicious." Yash smacked his lips together making Kagome giggle.

"Well, he better enjoy it while he can. Once he's born it's breast milk all the way," Kagome joked.

A fleeting smile met Yash's lips before he fell silent again. He turned his attention back to the baby as he continued to feel the soft palpitations against his hand, an achingly tender look on his face. "He'll be born soon enough," he whispered, his voice hauntingly soft. "And when he is, you'll be the best mother this baby has ever seen."

His words brought tears to her eyes and Kagome rapidly blinked them away before she laid her hands on top of his. "And you'll be the best father ever."

Yash stilled and he lowered his head, his silver mane falling around his shoulders shielding his face like a curtain. He couldn't meet Kagome's eyes any more than he could stop the bittersweet smile that briefly crossed his lips. After a slight hesitation he moved his hand across her stomach in slow, gentle strokes.

Kagome searched his face. Through the silver veil she could see the apprehension that lurked in the depths of his gaze and no matter how much he smiled at her tonight, something else besides happiness lingered at the edges of his expression.

She reached up and brushed back his hair. "You're awfully quiet tonight. Is something wrong?"

A hint of sadness flirted across his face before he abruptly doused it with a warm smile. It was so fleeting that Kagome wondered if she had really seen it.

His eyes softened and he leaned over to place a tender kiss on her temple, resting his lips there as he said, "Just thinking."

"About what?"

A sigh escaped him before he answered, "About the birth. I'm a little nervous, I guess." It wasn't like he was blatantly lying to her. He _was_ worried about the birth. Well, about what was going to happen before then, but he'd bite his tongue off first before he told her.

She nodded and bit her lip in trepidation and admitted in a quiet voice, "I know what you mean. I'm a little nervous, too. I'm not sure how the baby is going to be affected by the barrier." She sighed, thinking of the unknown.

Fuck. He didn't like the worry frown he saw on Kagome's face. "Hey, no getting upset thinking about it, okay? I told you everything will be fine."

He shifted her onto his lap and encircled her in the warmth and protection of his arms. Gripping her in a reassuringly hug, he rested his cheek against her head and buried his nose into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. If he could stop time, he would do it here and now, with his family in his arms.

With his eyes closed, he held her tight and murmured in a gentle, but firm voice, "I know you'll do everything in your power to protect him, so don't worry about the barrier. The birth is going to be fine. _You'll_ be just fine. Trust me, I know everything will turn out all right. Just don't forget to do your breathing exercises, deep breaths in and out slowly. And remember to just…" He swallowed the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. "…to just hold on to my hand."

-x-x-x-x-

A series of memos had been issued stating when the security system would be down for maintenance and testing. All staff were given strict orders to vacate the building until further notice. The fact that he was here in the empty building and breaking the rules didn't faze him. He was used to not following orders.

All he worried about was timing it just right. In fact, he thanked God for small favours. He had an hour before the security cameras were turned on again and that gave him the opportunity he needed to test out his idea.

He slipped the ring on and looked in the mirror.

He stared unbelievingly at his reflection; his natural shoulder length hair was replaced by a cascade of silver down his back and his features shifted into a familiar face that always invoked in him the urge to punch it every time he saw it.

_Holy fucking shit_.

It worked.

With shaky fingers, he took the ring off and stared down at it.

_Now what_?

Now that he knew it worked, what does he do with it? Like anyone in his field of work, he got carried away. He was so caught up in the pursuit of knowledge that he didn't care about the consequences until it was too late. But now reality reared its ugly head and he stared aghast at his newest invention. Look where his insatiable curiosity got him… yet he was strangely proud of his accomplishment. He knew it was too dangerous to keep around. He would have to destroy it, but… somehow, he couldn't bring himself to do it… just yet. An internal struggle brewed in the pit of his stomach; the lust for knowledge and the ethical principles of humanity were at such odds with each other.

He finally decided not to do anything at all… for the time being. Tossing the ring into a side safe, he locked it and took his leave, unaware of the green light of the security camera blinking off at his departure.

-x-x-x-x-

"Yash, I don't have time for this. Stop following me." Sesshomaru flicked an elegant hand against the panel and waited until the green light appeared before entering the building, Yash hot on his heels.

"What the fuck is this?" Yash exclaimed as his youki dispersed and he turned human.

Sesshomaru watched dispassionately as his brother's silver locks turned black and his eyes altered from amber to grey, but his step didn't falter as he continued down the corridor. "If you had read the memo I issued two days ago, you would know that we had to bring the barrier down in this building for a new security feature."

"Bring it down? Why? Didn't we just update the security system in this bunker?" Yash asked using his wife's favourite nickname for the building.

"Hn. Nice to see you still care about the company to keep up to date on internal communications," Sesshomaru said as he entered the elevator.

"Prick. I've always cared. I've just had a lot on my mind lately, okay?" Yash shot back, following his brother as they stepped out onto the top floor. "Speaking of which, what should I do? Do you have any ideas?"

"Yash, stop hounding me like a pup. I told you I don't have time for this." Exasperation was evident in Sesshomaru's voice. "I need to make sure everything is in place for the new barrier." He stopped mid-stride to direct a pointed stare at his brother. "Turn off your phone."

"Huh?" Yash was so busy doggedly following Sesshomaru that he almost ran into him when the inu-youkai abruptly stopped.

"Your cell will run interference with the security system. Turn it off."

"Yeah, okay, but are you listening to me?" Yash flicked off his business phone, but hesitated when it came to his personal one. It was his direct line to Kagome and if she needed him…

Sesshomaru cleared his throat, waiting impatiently for Yash to comply. "Turn it off."

"Since when did you personally check on barriers?" Yash muttered at Sesshomaru's dark look, but did as he was told and turned his personal cell phone off. It would only be for a few minutes, and he'd call Kagome as soon as he was out of the building.

In his customary unhurried grace, Sesshomaru continued down the short corridor and into the open office space.

He tapped on the nearest computer. Even though the memo issued had ordered all staff out of the building for an undisclosed amount of time, he knew that not every one of his employees followed the rules. Eyes swiftly scanning the screen, he confirmed that there was no one else on the premises. They were alone.

Another series of clicks and the steel blinds that hid the only windows in the compound automatically opened up and lifted, allowing the waning natural light to come into the room.

"It's been a week since I told you about that damn charm. Don't you fucking care?"

"I am busy trying to run this company, as you should be doing."

"Because I'm going to die! You fucking cold bastard!" Yash retorted angrily. _Fuck, didn't his brother give a damn?_

Sesshomaru leveled a look at his younger sibling. "I told you not to concern yourself." He watched as his brother nervously fiddled with his transformation ring, taking it off to allow his hanyou features to appear and then putting it back on. Sesshomaru watched analytically as his brother's features turned from human to hanyou again. _His own wife had created the new hanyou transformation charm and he still hadn't even changed his ring yet. Baka_.

"I think it's going to happen in two weeks when it's the new moon. That's the only time I can think of. It only makes sense." Yash moved towards the edge of the window and looked out at the expanse of trees that dotted the landscape. It grew darker by the second. The last sliver of sunlight from the near cloudless sky disappeared. "I'm human then; I'm at my most vulnerable. It's the only time I can die."

Yash paused, a look of determination etched on his face. "I have no choice, Sess, I have to destroy the well. I need to keep Kagome and the baby safe on this side. Even if I end up dying, she can't go back, she just can't. I won't take that risk. I'm going to destroy the well tonight. It's the only way."

The inu-youkai watched dispassionately as his brother continued to play with his transformation ring and came to a decision as soon as the hanyou slipped the ring onto his finger again; his long silver hair turned black and his cognac gaze turned smoky.

"Hn," Sesshomaru responded noncommittally as he sidled up to his brother. The flex of his fingers was the only sound breaking the tranquil silence.

They both stood in silence watching the outside lights flicker on illuminating the paths below with eerie efficiency. Shadows emerged and contorted ordinary shapes into hideous dark figures.

Sesshomaru tilted his head and after one last glance at the darkened sky, he turned to his younger brother. "Sometimes it is our duty to do what is right even if we know that it will not be construed as such."

"Huh?" The hanyou started to turn towards his brother.

"You are wrong as usual, InuYasha. You will not die in two weeks. You will die tonight."

As fast as a cobra ready to strike, Sesshomaru whipped around and grabbed InuYasha's hand in his, using his other arm to put a choke hold on him. It happened so fast that Yash had no time to think.

"Prick! What the fuck—?" Yash gasped out as he tried to free himself. Bastard! The hand trapped in Sesshomaru's grip was the one with his transformation ring on it and he couldn't get it off to change back into his hanyou form. He clawed ineffectively with his other hand to try to yank Sesshomaru's arm off his throat, but as a human, he was as helpless as a newborn babe in the youkai's arm.

Holding tight, Sesshomaru slammed Yash's head against the wall. A purple contusion began to form on his forehead as his left eye darkened into a bruise, his nose broken. A deep gurgling sound emitted from the younger man as he tried to catch his breath amidst the blood pouring from his nose and mouth.

"InuYasha, I am sorry. I have no choice." With that ominous warning, Sesshomaru crushed Yash's hand and tightened his grip on his throat.

_Sess, what the hell are you doing —? _was Yash's final thought before he died.


	13. Who Will Drive My Soul?

Disclaimer: Who Will Drive My Soul – Song by Lights

A/N: Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews. And sorry for that last chapter… but for the prologue to happen, you had to see that one coming…well, okay, not the Sess part…Um… for the record, I do like Sess, I _really_ do! ;) Real life is gearing up and it's going to get busy for me in the next few weeks, so I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thanks, as always, for reading! ^_^

**Chapter 12**: **Who Will Drive My Soul?**

_Seems somebody put out the moon  
Now the road is a minefield  
I can't follow the way she moves  
I can't see past the shadows_

….

_When you're gone  
Will I lose control?  
You're the only road I know  
You show me where to go  
Who will drive my soul?_

Kagome bustled around the kitchen getting supper ready. Glancing at the clock, she smiled. InuYasha should be on his way home. Lifting the lid off the pot on the stove, she hummed as she stirred the soup. Satisfied that the udon noodles would not overcook, she added in shrimp and vegetables to the broth.

The door bell rang and she frowned as she quickly wiped her hands on her apron. Now, who could that be? She hurried to answer it. Glancing out the window, she smiled as she noticed Kazuki's jeep parked in front.

She opened the door and greeted Kaz with a wide smile. "Kaz! What are you doing here? Come on in."

Kazuki entered wordlessly and the grave expression on his face suddenly made her heart beat faster.

"Kaz? Is something wrong?"

He swallowed hard and took her arm. "Let's go sit down."

"InuYasha is on his way home. I just put some noodles on the stove —"

"Kagome, something's happened." Kazuki interjected.

"Kaz —?" Kagome looked at her friend imploringly. His whole demeanor made her uncomfortable and she had an increasing sense of foreboding as she nervously followed him into the living room. The uneasiness continued to mount as he gently pushed her towards the sofa and made her sit down.

"I have some really bad news, darling." He looked away momentarily, not quite sure what to say or how to say it. There was nothing he could do or say to cushion the blow. Licking his lips, he grasped her hands tight and as gentle as he could he broke the news. "I was at the bunker tonight. I shouldn't have been there… but I was and I bumped into Sesshomaru…" The expectant way she was looking at him made him falter."And… and…I'm so sorry, darling, there's no other way to say it. Yash was in an accident and —"

"Accident? What kind of accident? Is he okay? Is he in the hospital? I have to go see him!" Kagome's words rushed out as she started to get up, but Kazuki tightened his hold on her and stilled her movements.

"Darling, he didn't make it."

Stunned silence met his words.

"What do you mean? I don't understand…"

"He's dea —"

"No! Don't say it!" Kagome covered Kazuki's mouth stopping him from completing his sentence. "I don't believe it, so don't say it, Kaz! It's not true! There's got to be some mistake!" Kagome pushed her friend away and got up. "InuYasha is on his way home right now. Look, I'll prove it to you. I'll phone him!" She snatched the phone off the table and dialed Yash's personal cell number.

It rang and rang and rang.

Numbness slowly crept into her body, her heart. Yash didn't have voice mail on his personal cell because he never turned that phone off. It was his private line to his wife. He always answered it.

And this time, he didn't.

Kagome couldn't believe it. She wouldn't believe it. InuYasha wasn't… dead. She couldn't even contemplate the notion without choking on the thought.

She dialed his number again and again. With each unsuccessful call her panic steadily rose and spiraled out of control. Finally, Kazuki could stand it no longer and grabbed the phone out of her hand. By then, her hysteria was full blown and she insisted on going to the bunker to see with her own eyes.

She pleaded with Kazuki until he reluctantly drove her to the Takahashi Group.

She was frantic to see InuYasha, but as Kazuki led her down the corridor, the ominous feeling began to build with each step she took. She suddenly felt sluggish — her feet felt like dead weight struggling through the mud— and she had to painfully remember to lift one foot after another.

Then she went through the door and her whole world shattered.

-x-x-x-x-

His body was lying on top of a gurney in the room, a plain white sheet draped over him. Kagome stood motionless inside the doorway, her eyes glued to the still figure. It was Kazuki who broke through her trance when she felt his supporting touch on her back.

"Kagome…"

His voice seemed distant, muffled, but it propelled her forward and she broke away from his touch. There was only one person she wanted and they were telling her that he was gone. As if she was a wooden puppet and some unseen force was pulling the strings, her feet shuffled forward on its own accord. She found herself standing beside Sesshomaru.

He gave her a long pitying look before he pulled the covers down.

_No! No! No! That's not InuYasha. That can't be InuYasha…_

Kagome's mind screamed as she stumbled forward, collapsing to her knees as bile rose up in her throat.

His eyes were closed; his nose broken. Someone had tried to clean him up, but residue of dried blood was evident all over his face and long, black hair. Dark brown blood stains hideously mocked the pristine whiteness of his dress shirt and Kagome flinched at its macabre appearance. His face was a mass of purple and black bruises and an anguish cry escaped Kagome's lips as she stared unbelievingly at the sight before her. The metallic rust of blood filled her nostrils and she had to gasp for air.

She had only one thought on her mind.

His ring.

In the madness of her grief, she thought that if she could get the ring off, she could save him.

She gripped his hand. It was cold.

With great effort, she tugged the ring off his stiff finger.

And nothing happened.

He was still human; his black hair still matted with blood; his face still horribly discoloured; his expressive eyes forever closed.

From far away she heard Sesshomaru's voice. "… motorcycle accident… broken neck… no time to transform… died instantly..."

Rasping uneven breaths echoed in her ear and she suddenly realized it was her. She looked up at Sesshomaru from her kneeling position. "Tenseiga?" she asked dully. Somewhere deep down she already knew the answer before she had asked the question as she flicked her eyes towards Sesshomaru's famed healing sword. It was propped up against the gurney, silent; no pulsing energy to indicate that it was ready or willing to save a life.

Sesshomaru shook his head as he blatantly lied, "I have tried. There were no pallbearers of the underworld to slay. He cannot be saved. He is dead."

Of course, Yash was dead. Sesshomaru had made sure of it.

She had one desperate hope left. "Meidou Zangetsuha?" she asked tremulously, referring to the sword's technique of opening the path to the underworld.

He could see the stubbornness in her gaze and her adamant refusal to give up, but he saw something else as well. It rose from her sub consciousness and lurked in the shadows of her eyes; it was the fear of the truth.

To the ever stoic inu-youkai, it moved even him to see the wretched yearning in her eyes, the desperate plea fueled by one last shred of hope.

"Please—?"

He stared down at Yash before he turned his gaze back to his sister-in-law.

She was clutching Yash's sleeve as if she alone could hold her husband to this world, but her eyes were trained on him, watching him with the precision and stillness of a hawk.

A brief shake of his head and her hopes and dreams dispersed like the sun on a cloudy day. She had clung on to that one thought: that Sesshomaru could still revive InuYasha and bring him back.

"Kagome, I am sorry. I no longer control the Meidou Zangetsuha. Tenseiga no longer has the ability to connect our physical world to the underworld. That technique belongs to Tetsusaiga now and the only one who could wield Tetsusaiga's power was InuYasha."

The eyes that looked up at him were marred with so much pain that the guilt he had been withholding came back in full force. He did not want to do this, but he had no choice. And if he had any say in the matter, neither would she.

He watched as her self-imposed control vanished. Gone was the strong priestess he had come to expect. In its place was a frightened, grieving woman missing the one person who could protect her; the one person she had built her life around. With him gone, so was her foundation. Her baby anchored her to this life — to this time — but he had to break that bond. He had to make her momentarily forget her child, at least until she did what he knew she would do.

In the miko's fragile state, he could do it; he could break her down completely and drive her over the edge.

He hardened his heart.

He met her gaze directly before he delivered the killing blow to her spirit. "He is gone. Dead. You will _never_ see InuYasha again."

The look of wretchedness on her face was so intense that Sesshomaru had to steel himself from looking away.

With a strangled cry, Kagome fumbled up and blindly turned away.

Kazuki reached out a hand to stop her, but she brushed by him before she fled the room. Fury burned in his chest and he turned cold eyes towards the older youkai. "How the fuck can you be so cruel?" Kazuki said in disgust before he ran out after Kagome, slamming the door behind him.

_Damn you, Sesshomaru._

-x-x-x-x

A roar filled her head and she turned blindly, almost staggering until hands held her upright. She stared up blankly as Kazuki spoke to her. His lips moved, but she couldn't seem to make out his words. She swayed, trying to concentrate, but the words wouldn't penetrate and she found herself being pulled against a warm chest.

It was his touch that triggered the onslaught of words, tumbling one over the other and Kazuki could barely make out the few broken sentences… "…said I-I wouldn't… Inu-InuYasha…. He's wrong! Wr-wrong! I can…. I can… " Her voice rose an octave and was edging precociously close to panic and he pulled her close to still the hammering of her heart.

"Shhh, it'll be all right, darling, I promise."

She was so heartbreakingly fragile that it spiked a pain in his heart. She was falling apart in his arms and he couldn't bare it. He swallowed hard and straightened up as he held her tight. She needed him and he had to be strong for her.

"Darling, let me take you to your mother's. You shouldn't be alone tonight. We need to take care of you and the baby right now, okay? C'mon, sweetheart, let's go." He tried to lead Kagome out of the complex, but she was edging towards hysteria again and it frightened him.

He had to calm her down, so he steered her to his lab where he gently eased her into a chair. He watched worriedly as she crossed her arms in front of herself and began to rock back and forth.

"H-how—?" Her voice broke. "H-how could h-he die like that?" Anguish flooded her eyes as she looked at her friend. "He was…was a hanyou and hanyou don't die…" She faltered as she stared at the object in her hand. She watched numbly as it slipped from her fingers and clattered to the floor, its flashing platinum spinning and spinning until it fell silent. Her voice turned as bleak as her gaze. "Why was he human? He should have been a hanyou and hanyou don't die in accidents… in motorcycle accidents. N-not like that… Kaz, why?"

She was like a small child as she stared up at him with huge, vulnerable eyes. It broke his heart to see her like this; so sad, so lost. The bleakness and pain of her expression made him ache for her.

Kneeling in front of her, he said, "I don't know, sweetheart, I don't. I don't have any answers and I sure as hell don't know why this happened. And I'm sorry, so damn sorry that it did. Just know that I'm here for you, darling. I'll help you any way that I can. I _promise_. Anything that you need, I'll be here for you."

She was slipping from reality, receding from the present to a place only she could see. He could see it in the dullness of her stare and it scared the shit out of him.

Gently lifting her chin until she looked into his eyes, he whispered, "Kagome, I know your world has darkened and there is no colour in it right now. But you have a life growing inside of you. You need to be strong and brave and you need to think of your baby right now."

He paused and reached out to place her hands on her belly, his large warm hands covering hers. He wanted her to feel her baby's heartbeat; to remind her that she had someone to live for. Locking his eyes on hers, he said quietly, "I know all you see right now is death, but, Kagome, you need to see the life."

His words finally reached her as helpless emotion flooded her face. "I-I don't know how," she whispered brokenly.

Tears shimmered bright in her eyes, suspended on her lashes until they slowly slid down her pale cheeks. Her pupils dilated and her face lost even more colour. He could see the grief gathering momentum again as her mind receded inward, shielding itself from the living nightmare she was now in. Her eyes glazed over, looking beyond these four walls into some place unknown to him.

_Shit. She was going into shock. He had to get her out of here fast._

"I'm here for you. It's going to be all right, darling, I promise. C'mon, let's get you out of here. I'm going to take you to your mother's."

She didn't offer any protest as Kazuki gently lifted her up from the chair. She was like a china doll, fragile, vulnerable. She wasn't broken yet, but one small misstep and she would shatter.

_Just hold on, Kagome_.

Her movements were stiff and unyielding and he had to wrap his arm around her waist to support her. She stopped abruptly in front of the cupboards and looked back. "InuYasha's ring…"

"I'll get it, darling."

Kagome leaned wearily against the table as Kazuki turned his back on her and retraced his steps. She didn't hesitate as she swiftly reached out a hand. By the time Kazuki returned to her side, she had once again steadied herself against the counter.

Her strength had left her completely and she sank gratefully against Kazuki's chest when he scooped her up in his arms and headed out the door.

With her eyes closed and her slender hands gripped into fists, she allowed Kazuki to take her back to the shrine.

-x-x-x-x-

Sesshomaru watched impassively as Kagome fled the room. It wasn't until he strode over and locked the door that the stoic façade broke. Leaning his forehead against the door he stilled as he listened to Kazuki trying to calm a hysterical Kagome.

Long moments passed. Not moving again until he was certain that they had left the building and the complex was once again deserted he finally straightened himself up with a barely audible sigh.

He turned to face the figure that had silently slipped into the room from a side door, and was now standing beside his brother's cold body.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?"

Looking at the lifeless body of his brother, Sesshomaru steeled himself, ready to face the consequences of his actions.

He looked up from his brother and met unfathomable golden eyes so much like his own before he said the one word that rarely passed his lips.

"_Please_."


End file.
